In this chapter, I attempt to illustrate the contingency of the role of Islam with reference to certain aspects of the recent constitutional experiences of Sudan, Nigeria, and Senegal.

While I have argued that evaluation of constitutional experiences should always be context specific, it is also part of my thesis that African countries can learn from the experiences of others, within the continent and beyond.

Recall also the premise that this relationship should neither be taken for granted nor assumed to be permanent or inevitable because if it is positive at any given time, it can decline, and if it is negative it can still deteriorate further or improve. Using some of the recent constitutional history and context of three countries, this chapter explores whether understanding the role and interaction of the various actors, factors, and processes that shape and influence this relationship can assist in the development of policy interventions and strategies to enhance the incremental success of constitutionalism in African societies where Muslims constitute the majority or a significant minority of the population.

Since I am introducing new information on the three countries discussed in this chapter, as well as an analysis of the specific role of Islam in each setting, I first present a brief overview of constitutional developments in each country and highlight an apparently dominant theme or set of issues in that context. I will begin with the case of Sudan as the oldest and most drastic example of the serious implications of the role of Islam among all three countries. The case of Nigeria will be presented next as a variation on the theme of the Sudan case, and Senegal will follow as a different model of the contingent role of Islam. All three cases will be taken together in a comparative discussion in the last section of the chapter.