ABSTRACT

In Nigeria, the phenomenon of the practice of godfatherism has been a central characteristic nature of democratic governance over the recent years. The significance of this reality as a socio-political problematique has been most amply occasioned by its manifestation in the present democratic system in the country. The extent of conflicts and crises, which has been associated with this phenomenon since Nigeria's returned to democracy in 1999 has generated and continued to call for critical reflections. Going by the current wave of the evils of the politics of godfatherism and its attendance negative impact on the quest for a true democratic dividends, the study therefore explores the problem of godfatherism in post-contemporary Nigerian politics with a view to relate how such practice has hampered and continued to militate against democratic governance and the desired for effective leadership drive by the godsons towards delivering people's oriented projects. The exploratory nature of the study necessitated the adoption of library and textual methods of enquiry, which is largely analytical in nature. The study through its philosophical lens discovered that the practice of godfatherism in Nigerian politics has negatively affected the thrust for good governance. Hence, as a panacea, the study recommends that those saddled with leadership responsibility should be allowed by their godfathers to freely deliver their mandate to the people, rather than continually determining the fate of Nigerians on the altar of their personal aggrandizement.