Essay On Electoral Politics In Nigeria

Introduction
Electoral Politics in Nigeria is often characterized by ethnicity, political thuggery and violence. That is why some scholars have described election periods in Nigeria as warfare1. Since the colonial period in Nigeria, electoral politics has been characterized by ethnic sentiments and corruption. Obnoxious acts such as indiscriminate use of money by the very powerful and influential members of the elite class, popularly called “political godfathers” is also a feature of electoral politics in Nigeria. This situation makes elected political office holders accountable to the godfathers instead of the electorates. This often results in the mismanagement of public funds and the persistence of underdevelopment. This means that they no

Corruption (Money and Godfatherism): Corruption of the electoral process, especially of the nature and magnitude in Nigeria, simply means that votes do not count16. This is often achieved through what is called money politics and godfatherism. Money politics refers to the excessive use of financial resources to encourage illegal activities or behaviours in politics, especially during periods of election. This occurs in different ways. Firstly, political ‘godfathers’ sponsors elections for 'godsons' and purchasing electoral victory. Secondly, businessmen and women use money illegitimately for political influence. On the other hand, 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. According to