Does political settlements analysis capture the unsettling politics of oil in Africa?

Analysis of political settlements has emerged from the shadows of New Institutionalism to the epicentre of political economy analysis across Africa. This debate takes on the framework by scrutinising its applicability to the politics of oil through the combined lens of critical political economy and contentious politics. It argues that contrary to the postulations of strategic elite bargains by political settlement researchers Africa’s oil landscape is marked by pluralistic politics and contestations at multiple scales.