The Implications of Godfatherism and Eliocentricism in Nigeria Politics for National Development

Abstract

One of the fundamental problems of godfatherism is that it does not revolve around ethical considerations. Nigerian politics is bedeviled by the problems of godfatherism, eliocentrism, corruption, tribal sentiments, monetized politics, political assassination, political thuggery, and religious bigotry or Islamic fundamentalism. Godfatherism has become a cankerworm in Nigerian politics. Godfatherism in Nigerian politics has become very problematic due to the evils of corruption. This paper adopts the hermeneutical methodology in discussing the inextricable nexus between godfatherism and eliocentrism in Nigerian politics. The purpose of this paper is to reveal that godfatherism and eliocentrism serve as impediments to Nigeria’s quest for democratic sustainability and accountability. Godfatherism has paved the way for political irresponsibility and poor leadership structure. The evils of godfatherism have given room for leadership irresponsibility. Leadership in Nigerian democratic setting has failed woefully due to selfish aggrandizement and kleptocratic practices of some Nigerian politicians. Many Nigerian representatives have become very corrupt, and they have plunged the country into serious economic hardship and poor socio-political and economic insecurity. One of the serious implications of the evils of godfatherism is that it has resulted in socio-economic and political insecurity. Today’s Nigerian society has been bastardising and balkalnised by the evils of elite politics, corruption and godfatherism. The method adopted on this study relied on purely secondary means. The findings of this paper, however, show that godfatherism has very negative consequences. If necessary, steps are not taken Nigeria’s quest for sustainable national development would only be a mirage. This paper concludes that godfatherism remains one of the indices of the evils of kleptocratic practices in Nigerian politics.