An Assessment of the Impact of Godfatherism on Democratic Governance in Nigeria: A Case Study of the 2019 and 2023 General Elections.

Abstract

This study assesses the impact of political godfatherism on democratic governance in Nigeria, specifically examining the 2019 and 2023 general elections through the complementary lens of Elite Theory and Clientelism Theory. By utilizing a qualitative research design, relying on secondary data sources to probe into this topic. The findings of this study reveal that godfatherism remains entrenched in Nigeria’s political landscape, shaping candidate selection, influencing electoral outcomes, and undermining internal party democracy. The findings on the 2019 and 2023 elections revealed a heavily monetized election, characterized by vote buying, elite manipulation, and institutional capture. Although technological innovations such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) improved some procedural aspects of elections, elite considerably remain in control, through adaptation a more sophisticated forms of clientelism, including digital vote trading and strategic alliances leading to the weakening democratic governance, fostering corruption, distorting public policy, undermining accountability, and eroding public trust in political institutions with far reaching implication on voter apathy, political violence, and the subversion of democratic institutions such as the judiciary and electoral bodies. The study concludes that godfatherism constitutes a structural challenge to democratic governance in Nigeria, transforming elections into transactional processes and governance into an extension of elite interests. It therefore recommends comprehensive reforms in party politics, campaign financing, and institutional strengthening to curtail the influence of godfatherism and promote a more inclusive and accountable democratic system.