Nigeria and the Politics of God-Fatherism: From Military Dictatorship to Civilian Plutocracy

This study aims at examining Nigeria’s political behaviour, which not only fails in its trial to shape the political spectrum and or polarity but also misconstrues the precise connotation of ‘free choice and political freedom of the common people’ as suggested by true liberal democracy. God-fatherism is being developed in a form of neo-dictatorial system of governance through the lens of free choice of the people by which dictatorial democracy – in a passive move of imposing oneself over others in various ways – proves its existence in today’s Nigerian politics. This paper testifies that the Nigerian politicians and electorates misuse the unsurpassed provision of true liberal democracy, and thus turn the populace in a gravity of antagonism, fear, and prejudice. The study concludes that the multiparty system that aims at maximizing more political opening to cover wider opinions of the people so as to ensure general inclusiveness in political life constructs another side of intolerance and death-defying consequences against opposition groups. This continues to inculcate and or create a close affinity between democratically elected civilians and military dictators in the era of postcolonial Nigeria.