POLITICAL GODFATHERISM, RECKLESSNESS AND ABANDONMENT OF THE ELECTORATES IN NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Keywords:
Godfatherism, Electoral violence and thuggery, Political abandonment syndrome, Vote buying, political corruption, Insecurity and armed criminality, Do-or-die electoral culture, National security and development challenges.Abstract
“Take or leave it”, the archetypal of godfather in Nigeria is more than the “ruthless” Mario Puzo’s kingpins in the Italian Mafia setting. The Nigerian political sphere has been characterized with thuggery, ballot snatching, politically motivated murder or homicide. This is because Nigerian election is seen as a “do or die affair”. Nigerian politicians are seen as among the richest politicians in the world. A Nigerian senator earns N13.5 million monthly aside other allowances and running costs. The political leaders, in their bid to get into one political position or the other at all cost, have devised most crooked means, through which they capture power. These include the massive recruitment of thugs and other numerous field campaigners and spy-like watchers. They have also resorted to glamorous promises to the people or their constituencies. Unfortunately, once they get into their various offices, they not only forget the promises made to the people, but abandon the thugs and other field workers they have used. These abandoned thugs, then resort to armed robbery, kidnapping, killing them or maiming them or abducting their relations for huge ransoms, which has constituted serious threat to both national security and development in the country.
