Patrons and Clients Godfathers and the Democratization Process in Nigeria's Fourth Republic

Godfatherism as a phenomenon has been in existence since time immemorial , continues to feature in many human endeavors. It is a sui generis practice that depicts political might, political survival and power sustenance. In Nigeria, it indicates politi-cal relevance and significance that guarantees meteoric rise in political careers. This dominant political culture has been sustained by a privileged few that have held sway over the political directions and fortunes within Nigeria's polity. Drawing case studies from Northern and Southern Nigeria, this study explores the characteristics of pre-sumed godfathers in Nigeria's political sphere. It details the basic information about godfathers, their ideology, the goals that inform their kind of politics and their primor-dial engagements with the phenomenon. The study has major policy implications for the seemingly uneven gradation that party politics has assumed in Nigeria.