The Godfather

One prominent feature of Nigerian democracy is that many Nigerian politicians see their positions as an opportunity to enrich themselves. This means that they usually try to rig their way into power, and once in power, they try to stay there for as long as possible.

However, term limits imposed by the Nigerian constitution mean that after eight years, Nigerian governors have to look for something else to do. Sometimes, they may decide to go into business with money they have obtained during their time in office. But more usually, they try to become godfathers, where they have a position of political privilege and can dictate what goes on in State House, usually with the help of a retinue of thugs and a flow of money.

Of course, the best thing about being a godfather is that they enjoy all the benefits of being in State House (the power to direct policy and loot the treasury) without being in the public glare. If the godfather can establish himself successfully, he can even become a de facto life governor, controlling the establishment and dethronement of puppets (as Saraki and Adedibu have successfully done for years).

But things don't always go according to plan. The governor might handpick a puppet to succeed thim, but sometimes the dog bites the hand that feeds him (as we saw with Ngige in Anambra and Ladoja in Oyo). But such rebellions are not usually successful, because the governor does not have enough of a power base to succeed.

It might be interesting to see what happens in the years ahead, with Nigerian politics being played the way it is. Perhaps one puppet governor will be smarter about dealing with his godfather by building up his own army of thugs. Or perhaps he'll switch allegiance to a rival godfather, or even play godfather off against godfather. Perhaps having the support of godfathers will become a fact of Nigerian elections, so that the best defence against rigging is to have your own army of godfather-supplied thugs.

But ultimately, the godfather is the artefact of a society where the people do not feel empowered enough to protest; a society where stealing is preferred to business or employment as a way of making money. It is likely that as the economy improves, governors will see going into the private sector as a more materially rewarding and societally recognised alternative to godfathering. But I don't think the position of godfather will ever die out - I think it will just mutate to a less brutal role.