GODFATHERISM IN LAGOS STATE POLITICS SINCE 1999 TO 2013

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GODFATHERISM IN LAGOS STATE POLITICS SINCE 1999 TO 2013

ABSTRACT

The phenomenons of godfatherism and political conflict have become a plague in the body politics of Nigeria. There is an emerging trend in Nigeria which indicates that an intending contestant must have and depend on a godfather with the requisite wealth and power to get him into elective office. The implication is that contestants no longer rely on their popularity among the electorates but on their chosen godfathers to help them secure electoral victories. Godfatherism is not new in Nigerian politics. It has only assumed a new form under the fourth republic democracy, partly because the Nigerian economy is still at the primitive stage of capital accumulation by the renters and commissioned agents with little or no productive capacities. Politics therefore is the only means of reaching out at the state resources. This phenomenon has trampled on the basic principle of democracy and has encouraged the failure of necessary structures and institutions to act decisively at correcting the anomalies. Godfatherism in Nigeria is therefore a manifestation of a societal decay. It has become a pestilence to the practice of a true democracy in Nigeria (Edigin, 2010). Godfatherism has become a factor in Nigerian politics such that very few politicians can achieve success without the stalwart support of godfathers. In Nigeria, the desire of individuals to rule at all cost has sold political leadership to the highest bidders, as whopping sums of money are needed for electoral manipulation. Therefore, desperate politicians who wish to win elections usually seek after godfathers. The implication of this in Nigerian politics is that the country is yet to make appreciable progress in transparent governance because godfathers usually create setback, which hinders democratic growth and development in Nigeria (Edigin, 2010). One of the prevailing fundamental and sensitive issues in Nigerian politics that cannot be ignored is godfatherism. The political relationship under successive governments in Nigeria is a reflection of the international economic order, which facilitates the pursuit or regime change by avaricious godfather whose major pre-occupation is to perpetuate their hegemonic political influence for personal interest and aggrandizement (Osuntokun, 2003). Conflict and political godfatherism have undoubtedly ruined democratic governance in Nigeria. This paper examines the notions of ‘democracy, ‘godfatherism’, and ‘leadership’ with a view to determining the extent to which the phenomenon of godfatherism impacts on leadership and leadership style in a democracy such as Nigeria. It establishes that there is a direct relationship between responsible leadership and accountability, but goes on to argue that the abuse and wrong deployment of the phenomenon of godfatherism by the key political players in Nigeria have made nonsense of the democratic and leadership values of responsibility and accountability. This development, the paper argues, has resulted in lack of both human and infrastructural development, even as most political office-holders no longer see themselves as holding their offices in trust for the people, but rather in trust for their godfathers, themselves and their relations. Having run an extensive exposition and analysis of what genuine democracy and responsible leadership are and what they stand for, it goes on to submit that Nigeria is only practicing the opposite of these concepts. Whereas it does not condemn the phenomenon of godfatherism in its entirety, the paper, however, contends that it has been grossly abused and misapplied by the Nigerian political class. On this note, it advises the so-called political elites in Nigeria to look the way of the advanced countries and borrow from them the best way to deploy the apparatus of godfatherism in both political and other strands of leadership. It harps on the importance of meritocracy, freedom of choice, consensus/majority opinion and accountability, as some of the imperatives upon which a responsible democratic leadership thrives. Accordingly, it recommends urgent re-orientation of the political class on the real import of these values and the need for them to imbibe and dramatize them in their political and leadership activities, warning that unless this step is taken, all our efforts at advancing Nigeria socio-politico-economically will continue to be an absolute exercise in futility.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The concept of godfatherism is synonymous to intermediary, mentoring, benevolence, and support and sponsoring. In a political setting, the concept is an ideology that is championed on the belief that certain individuals possess considerable means to unilaterally

determine who get a party‟s ticket to run for an election and who wins in the electoral contest. To Adeoye (2009), it is a term used to describe the relationship between a godfather and godson. A godfather is a kingmaker, boss, mentor, and principal, while godson is the beneficiary and recipient of the legacy of a godfather. A godfather is someone who has built unimaginable respect and follower (voters) in the community, and possessed a well organised political platform, and general acceptance from electorate that could secure victory for candidates of his choice (Bala and Tyoden, 1987). It comprises of coalition of strong socio-economic and political elites that share similar value system, and under an organized structure. In most cases, there are always godfathers who control the affairs of the mafia. Godfathers are powerful individuals who determine „who, what, when and how‟ in the corridors of power. In the views of Bassey and Enetak (2008), godfatherism connote the power and influence of people who are politically relevant in deciding who gets nominated to contest elections and who eventually wins the election. Godfathers are highly politically mobile and can sway political support to the political party and/or candidate behind which they throw their political weight. Those that play godfatherism are known as godfathers while those who benefit from their benevolence are known as godson. Kolawole (2004), sees godfatherism as an institution of political kingmaking through which certain political office holders of tenuous political clout come into power. Hence, it is a relationship based on political surrogacy involving financial and moral assistance where the godfather is the major donor and the godson the primary receiver. However, as the relationship progresses, the godfather stands to reap his investment. It can therefore be described as a relationship based on “give and take.” Be that as it may, it is important to note that this relationship is not fixed or determinate. As a matter of fact, it breaks over time as a result of the contradictions inherent in godfatherism. Godfatherism in its simplest form can be generally seen as a practice which entails the sustenance of a kind of social and political relationships in which the subordinate looks onto the superior for the propagation and fulfillment of certain roles, desires and interactions which binds both together or in which both have equal stake but with the superior determining what the subordinate gets in the process (Williams, 2004). According to him, this view presents godfatherism as a relationship between a superior and a subordinate in which the superior has some level of influence over the subordinate as a result of his superior status. In other words, godfatherism connotes a mutual relationship between individuals in which one is superior and the other a subordinate who relies on his superior partner for favours to help him attain his life goals. The conventional civic sense of godfatherism, which is inclined to posturing a credible candidate and granting him a mentoral support to enhance resulted oriented governance, is however opposed by entrepreneurial sense of politics.

It is a term now reserved for God forsaken criminals who will go to any length to achieve their set goals of wielding political power including arson, intimidation, warning flogging and sometimes assassination. This derivative meaning of godfatherism and its negative application in Nigeria is loathsome. Godfatherism is one of the pandemic that is endangering our polity. It compels elected official to siphon funds made for public infrastructural development to private accounts, of their godfathers, thereby jeopardizing and mortgaging the future of the citizens. Political godfatherism describes a situation in which very powerful and influential members of the elite class use their power, money and influence to determine who should rule or occupy a given political office and who impose these leaders on the people. The leaders are generally forced upon the masses through intimidation, harassment and an excessive use of money. Political godfathers act as the financial backbone for politicians who want to occupy political offices at all cost. Such political office holders usually become tied to the apron string of their godfathers (Otite and Umukoro, 2010). From the above explanations, it shows therefore that godfatherism involves, two parties, (godfather and godson), whose relationship is symbiotic in nature. Both parties need each other to survive and achieve their aim. The godfather bankrolls the campaign of the godson while the godson reciprocates by paying huge interest and awarding contracts to the godfather. Politicians in Nigeria should wear a human face in pursuing their political ambition. Politics in Nigeria has become an investment where the investors are set to make profit at all cost, as a result, political brutality is pervading the society. This set of politicians has been in their usual status quo since our democratic dispensation. The mirage is a holocaust that is grinding our political system; their political diagnosis is imperative. When in recent times, In turning up the political computer of politicians; I browse through their profiles, I saw infected files which cannot be diagnosed, the corrupt nature of these files is not responding to anti-virus, I tried scanning the computer, yet the computer is neither ready for scanning nor want to crash. We need a political virologist to scan our political computer. The quest to hold on to power by these politicians as our foremost leaders is on the increase; their enthusiasm is as constant as K is constant in Mathematical Variables. Their political bruhaha, political gbagha, political oppression and political victimization are on a high frequency. Every politician wants to become a political godfather. Godfather, is as old as politics itself, godfather is even in the church, in the case of Christian dom, the godfather assists the godson to attain the level of a responsible person in the society. In other words, he teaches the godson the norms and values of the society and inculcates in him a better character.

Meanwhile, political godfather is another ball game all together; it is the opposite. The political godfather usually brings the political godson to the lime light of politics. He (godfather) introduces him (godson) to the people that matters. However, the godson having successfully clinched the seat with the support of their godfather, quietly wants to sideline their political godfather. This maybe, as a result of over lordship, by their godfather, wanting to dominate the Government; giving directives and controlling the administration.

The Fourth Republic in Nigeria has witnessed these ugly trends from inception soon after the Governors were swear-in in 1999. The political actors and their estrange political godfather were in the verge of contending who is who in their state. As Nigerians, we are saddled with the collective responsibility of effecting change in the politics of our nation. We believe in change that is inevitable. Some school of taught, sees politics as a dirty game, while others believe politics in Nigeria as a dirty. Idealist believe that, in as much as Nigeria politics is dirty or what ever it’s being called; envelop with greed, and self aggrandizement, there will always be a positive change and a better future for our country, Nigeria. Why is it that, in Nigeria, politics is called dirty game? Can’t we change it with all urgency? We should suggest and make a forum to liberalize the political ingrate and kleptomania from the state of political alsoran. Nigerians are ambitious to seeing a resurrected economy that will define the truthfulness and oneness of our bedeviled society. We have been patience, ambivalent in response to issues, politically, socially and economically. Our amity in the face of this stress, travail and anguish will redeem us from the evil geniuses (Dubious politicians). The concept of godfatherism is firmly establishing itself as a guiding principle in contemporary Nigeria politics. Godfathers are generally defined as men who have the power personally to determine both who gets nominated to contest elections and who wins in the election.

In the past, Nigerian society had fewer criminals that the judicial systems attempted to contend with in recent times, our judicial systems cannot contend with such because Nigerian society is building criminals at rapid pales in the late 20th and early 21st centuries through democratization and militarization practices, when the governing systems failed to deliver the other takes over. In democracy one way that regime is breeding criminals is through godfather’s, godfatherims is old fashion enterprise that circulates around nation with different names or headings for centuries.. Apparently it appears majority of our state governors are financed by such caliber of person and for those financed by their godfathers get into offices now have huge power in respective states. They assigned civil services and or political positions to who are not of the people but people of the privates.

The role of education in politics cannot be over emphasized. To be effective, civil education must be realistic, it must address the central truth about political life. The American Political Science Association (A.P.S.A) recently formed a task force on Civil Education. Its statement of purpose calls for more realistic teaching about the nature of political life and a better understanding of “the complex elements of the art of the possible”. The A.P.S.A. reports faults existing civil education because all too often it seems unable to counter the belief that in politics, one either wins or loses, and to win; means getting everything at once, now. The sense that politics can always bring another chance to be heard to persuade and perhaps to gain part of what one wants, is lost, political education today seems unable to teach the civil engagement the slow patient building of first coalitions and then majorities can generate social change (Carter & Elshtan, 1997).

A message of importance therefore is not politics need not, indeed must not, be a zero, sum game. The idea that “winner takes all” has no place in a democracy because if losers lose all they will opt out of the democratic game. Sharing is essential in a democratic society, the sharing of power, of resources and of responsibilities. Those skills and the will or necessary trait of private and public characters are the products of a good civil election. The opposition party, the ACN, has a firm grip on the politics of Nigeria’s largest state, Lagos State. And although ACN is itself a relatively new party, the governorship of the state has for several years now been in the hands of the opposition, thanks largely to the one-time Governor of the state and omnipresent all-powerful political Godfather, Bola Tinubu. It is said – and indeed widely accepted – that several years after leaving office, it is still Mr Tinubu who calls many of the shots in Lagos state, largely through the proxies whom he has personally selected, nominated and effectively guided into office. The incumbent Governor Fashola, who during Mr Tinubu’s tenure as Governor worked for many years as his Chief of Staff, is seen as having been one of the prime beneficiaries of Mr Tinubu’s political largesse as Fashola was hand-picked by the erstwhile Governor himself as his successor. However, following in the tradition of countless other hand-picked political successors across Africa, once he was installed as Governor, Fashola began to show the tell-tale signs of a man who actually wanted to make some of his own decisions – often without any reference to the man at whose personal invitation he was occupying the Governor’s mansion, and at times in direct opposition to one of Mr Tinubu’s myriad personal business interests.

To say that this unfolding state of affairs irked Mr Tinubu would be to understate the case to the point of material misrepresentation. Because to Mr Tinubu, this behavior was much more than just the irritating impudence of an upstart lackey. Indeed, in Mr Tinubu’s politically-charged universe, it smacked of some of the worst evils imaginable: ingratitude, disloyalty, disrespect, political dishonesty, to name but a few. And as if to add insult to injury, it had come to Mr Tinubu’s attention that there were increasingly vocal murmurings among the public that Fashola was doing Lagos proud, that he was changing the face of Lagos, that he was making Lagos the envy of all other states. Understandably, it was of little or no comfort to Mr Tinubu that he was often openly congratulated for having made such a wise choice in selecting Fashola as his successor. Far more important than any advancement of Lagos state was the sacrosanct hierarchy and natural order of things that Mr Tinubu had gone to such great lengths to establish, and which his successor now appeared to be tampering with.

1.2 PROBLEM OF THE STUDY

Should money and influence be the only determinant of an election in Nigeria political content?

Must politician join any confraternity or go into feeble and illegal agreement with powerful rich mobile Nigeria before they could contest for an elections?

God fatherism and politics will not bring about significant growth/development economically, socially and politically.

The doctrine of separation of power and the theory of rule of law is not best assured.

The fundamental human right is well protested as stipulated by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions were raised to guide the study.

What patterns do godfatherism take in Nigeria political system?

What factors promote godfatherism in Nigerian political system?

What are the general effects of god fatherism in politics in Lagos state?

How does education influence Nigerian politics and politicians in relation to godfatherism?

1.4 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to investigate the concept of God fatherism, how it influences Nigeria politics and politician and the role of education in Nigeria. How godfatherism is firmly and deeply principle in contemporary Nigeria policies.

This study also examined the role of education in Nigeria politics. How civic education in a democracy is educating government. This study is to look at political godfatherism and its implication on the Nigerian political process looking at some states. How political office holders are elected into public offices will be considered and to know why they do not perform particularly as they enjoy the support of their political mentors.

I would try to mention why these godfathers are very powerful to extent that they circumvent political and legal process to suit their interest or that of their candidate using the police and judiciary and other illegitimate means.

The study will also try to let us know why political godfathers and their godsons often fight themselves embarrassing citizens of this country, especially as they use undemocratic and crude means to settle their political differences.

How much do women get supported by political godfather and if not, do they not enjoy their support and what does godfatherism portends for the democrat process in Lagos state. It shall also try to make recommendation to preserving and protecting the political process from the over bearing influence of political godfathers.

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0: godfatherism has no patterns/ forms it take in Nigeria political system.

H1: godfatherism patterns/ forms it take in Nigeria political system.

H0: There are no factors that promote godfatherism in Nigerian political system especially in Lagos state.

H1: There are factors that promote godfatherism in Nigerian political system especially in Lagos state.

H0: god fatherism has no general effects in politics of Lagos state.

H1: god fatherism has no general effects in politics of Lagos state.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Significance of this study is to investigate the concept (God fatherism) how it influences Nigeria politics and politicians and the role of education in Nigeria politic e.g.

1. Law makers

2. Policy formulators

3. The judiciary

1.7 SCOPE/LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study will be focused mainly on godfatherism in politics of Lagos state since 1999-2013.

1.9 DEFINTION OF TERMS

It is at a point imperative to look at the meaning of godfather or godfatherism, political and process as the case may be for the understanding of the question.

Godfather is a man who promises to help a child and teach him or her Christian values. And in another definition godfathers is said to be the head of a criminal organization or mafia group. [Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Third Edition pg.611]

Political:- Connected with the government or public affairs of a country and its relation with other country.[I bid pg. 1089]

Process: A series of natural developments or events that produce gradual change or a series of actions that someone takes in order to achieve a particular result. [I bid pg. 1124]

Godson: – A boy that a godparent promises to help and to teach Christian values [I bid pg.611]

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

godfatherism : The concept of godfatherism is synonymous to intermediary, mentoring, benevolence, and support and sponsoring. In a political setting, the concept is an ideology that is championed on the belief that certain individuals possess considerable means to unilaterally

determine who get a party‟s ticket to run for an election

and who wins in the electoral contest. To Adeoye (2009), it is a term used to describe the relationship between a godfather and godson. A godfather is a kingmaker, boss, mentor, and principal, while godson is the beneficiary and recipient of the legacy of a godfather. A godfather is someone who has built unimaginable respect and follower (voters) in the community, and possessed a well organised political platform, and general acceptance from electorate that could secure victory for candidates of his choice (Bala and Tyoden, 1987). It comprises of coalition of strong socio-economic and political elites that share similar value system, and under an organized structure.

Process: A series of natural developments or events that produce gradual change or a series of actions that someone takes in order to achieve a particular result. [I bid pg. 1124]

Godson: – A boy that a godparent promises to help and to teach Christian values [I bid pg.611]

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