ABSTRACT
The military elite that took power, and their allies in the Kaduna mafia, were supporters of the National Party of Nigeria for most of its life. The stated aims of the regime were identical with those of the second Shagari administration. The quarrel with the politicians was not with their policies but with their failure to control the economy and the absence of public accountability. The military introduced an authoritarian style of government with numerous decrees and military tribunals to bring politicians and other corrupt individuals to trial. A War Against Indiscipline was announced. There was intimidation of the press and a purge of the civil service. The military did not develop any ideological weapons of their own to mobilise support. The immediate economic objective of the regime was to further reduce government expenditure, control the budget deficit, and establish control over Nigeria’s insatiable demand for imports. The emphasis was on domestic austerity.
