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The Dialectics of Political Godfatherism in Nigeria, 1999–2019

• First Online: 28 January 2022

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• Al Chukwuma Okoli 5  

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Godfatherism is a pattern of clientelistic partisan relations whereby a neophyte politician rides on the patronage of a much more established one onto elective or appointive position. It is a dominant attribute of party politics in Nigeria, where it has been associated with sundry abuses and excesses over the years. This chapter examines the phenomenon of political godfatherism in Nigeria with a view to situating its material basis and contradictory essence. By means of a qualitative analysis of secondary sources, anchored on the Marxian Political Economy approach, this chapter posits that much as political godfatherism is symptomatic of elite’s opportunism and prebendalism in party politics, it equally highlights a primordial political culture that patronizes non(in)formal political structures rather than established civic rules and procedures. This problem has been evidenced by functional weaknesses of political parties wherein stalwarts capitalize on their near-absolute stake in that context to corner party affairs in service of self-aggrandizing ends. This chapter also argues that political godfatherism is scarcely sustainable, owing to its ineluctably contradictory essence. The contradictions of such practice have often found expression in tension between political godfathers and their godsons, often leading to instability and governance failure. This chapter recommends urgent de-prebendalization of state power as well as reformation of party politics in Nigeria in order to vitiate the untoward influence of money and materialism in that regard.

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Department of Political Science, Federal University of Lafia, Lafia, Nigeria

Al Chukwuma Okoli

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Israel 'Kelue Okoye

Department of Political Science, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Nigeria

Ikenna Mike Alumona

Department of Political Science, Federal University, Otuoke, Nigeria

Ernest Toochi Aniche

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Okoli, A.C. (2022). The Dialectics of Political Godfatherism in Nigeria, 1999–2019. In: Ibeanu, O., Okoye, I.'., Alumona, I.M., Aniche, E.T. (eds) Anonymous Power. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6058-0_20

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Published : 28 January 2022

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Godfatherism and political party financing in Nigeria: Analysing the 2015 general election

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