Patrimonialism, “Godfatherism,” and Elections in Nigeria's Fourth Republic

Abstract

Theoretically, democracy and political unrest are inversely related. Practically, however, political unrest is becoming a recurring occurrence in some democracies. This contradictory feature of contemporary human society informs the attempt made by this study to explain the nexus between “godfatherism,” patrimonialism, and election on one hand; and the impact these have on enduring unrest in the Nigerian political system. The study, using the elite consensus or group cohesion typology as a framework of analysis and mixed research methods, explained the inevitability of “godfatherism” in the Nigerian political space and the impact their unregulated engagements have, alongside the fragile nature of the Nigerian state on political unrest in the Fourth Republic. Having established the foundations of recurring political unrest, the study calls for a wide range of reform in the political, economic, media, and civil society space and further entrenchment of democratic ethos through purposeful political education of citizens.