International records / OpenAlex research

Perverse brokerage: godfathers and politics in Nigeria

The concept of godfatherism is firmly establishing itself as a guiding principle in contemporary Nigerian politics. The question is whether such guiding principle is a positive one, encouraging of democratic consolidation, stability and development most earnestly desired by a nation starved of hope. The activities of Godfathers, their use of violence to achieve control of government machinery make clear that the contrary is the case, that the godfather is the boss of an organised political crime outfit against the Nigerian people. This paper argues that the current prominent role of the godfat…