In the Name of My Father: The Personalization of Government in Nigerian Politics, 1999-2023

The study examines the implications of the roles of class, godfatherism, and personalization of government for Nigeria’s political development and nation-building. The research method employed was the qualitative analytical method which involved content analysis of relevant documentary data on the subject. The approach adopted was also thematic. The research findings indicate that because of the “unending” transition to civil rule, most politicians avoided the transition because they are not certain if the military will hand over power to civilian, and they lacked the money to compete with the political entrepreneurs. These gave room for political entrepreneurs or ‘money bags’ to dominate the transition programme. The principle of party supremacy shortly lost its meaning as campaign organizations took over from party secretariats. And the party’s manifesto or programme lost its meaning to the personal ‘greed’ or ambitions of the political entrepreneurs, who also positioned their children to power through various means, including inheritance of political legacies, strategic alliances, and leveraging financial resources. The attitude of these godfathers impacted negatively on good governance. It also reduces the legitimacy of government and voids the electoral value of the citizens.