BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
Political godfathers in Nigerian politics have taken the centre stage of the country’s political life and history.
The act which started as a jovial statement began to spread like a wild fire and without interruption caught the political terrain in total submission.
This terminology was used to describe the relationship between two or more politicians; the one who sponsors and the others who are sponsored to occupy political positions whether elective or appointment.
Prior to the present political dispensation, the country’s politics had no such entitlement and even if there was, it was silent.
However, the terminology has turned out to be as prominent as a total mess in the country’s political arena, exposing her to great damage and ridicule.
Taking a chronological look at its invention as well as the positive and negative influence on the country’s politics and governance, elder statesman, Ambrose Ezewunwa said, “Political godfatherism is known only to Nigeria. It is an invention of those rich politicians who spent their wealth on the poor politicians angling to occupy elective positions or be appointed into a position either at the state or Federal Government levels. They began by calling them “bag carriers” receiving tutorials on how to prosper and become relevant in politics and then progressed into titling them “political sons” by answering political godfathers. If this which has fast turned to a menace destroying our politics was nipped in the bud, today, what has happened in our various states and is currently happening in Rivers State would not have had a place in our political history.
“In the First Republic down to the botched Third Republic, politicians were freely contesting for positions of their choice and getting appointments on merit. There was nothing like before politician A gets elected to occupy a position or gets appointed to serve in any government, his godfather must be the one to recommend and push him for that. But what do we see today, for anyone to get the ticket of a political party, he must have one bourgeois who approves his ambition and goes ahead to sponsor him on bargain to be the pseudo authority in that position dictating what he must do from the background.
“In the days of Zik, Awo, Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa, Okpara, Akintola, and others, to the era of Shagari, Ekwueme, Jakande, Aminu Kano and Rimi, there was affiliation by ideology and no one saw himself as a godfather or godson. The politicians went into the ring to contest for positions of their choice, get nominated and proceeded to be elected on the conviction of the electorates. After that, they had free hands to govern the people that elected them without any external influence from somebody sitting in the background and truncating governance.”
Ezewunwa further narrated the political scenario in forming political parties and make up of its members in Nigeria before the present republic and noted that the country has been dragged years aback by people he described as political merchandise and jobbers.
“In the first and second republic dispensations in particular, political parties were formed based on a convinced ideology and members of the same ideology came together to pursue this. They remained glued together, bound together and never gave a hoot about the outcome of the elections.
“There was no jumping from one political party to another after winning and serving out some tenure in one political party whose fortune may have plundered in subsequent elections like we witness these days where someone served as a governor of a state for eight years as a PDP member and the next thing he becomes a Senator or other lawmakers in APC or Labour. “No. This is a crime against politics and governance and it is only seen in our country. Our present crops of politicians are hungry and this hunger has totally destroyed what was left of party ideology and therefore created and established godfatherism.
“As a lawyer I can tell you that the stage it’s gotten to in this administration, if not checkmated, will smash politics to death.”
“The man who sees himself as a godfather will definitely put everything and does everything within the control of his wealth and of course his power to install his protégés to power for the sole aim of being the one running the government from an unseen position. When the “father and son” are in agreement on how they share the commonwealth of the state, there would be no noise about godfatherism, everything would seem to be in line but the affected state would drastically suffer from the consequences. No development in that state except the so called godfather approves and where the godson has a conscience that is still alive, I am saying this because we hardly have politicians that their conscience are still alive; he would shun his godfather to give the people dividends of democracy and that becomes the genesis of crisis as we have seen in Lagos between the sitting President Bola Tinubu and one-time governor Akinwunmi Ambode. You media people reported that Tinubu is the one sanctioning who becomes the governor of Lagos State and by that he continued with his stronghold of the state but Ambode felt otherwise and that cost him his second term ambition.
“His case was different from what happens when godfathers fall apart with their godson. In most cases, the godson dumps his godfather and forge ahead to get his ambition realised and even chase away the godfather from the state. Do you remember the crisis in Anambra State between Chris Ubah and Chris Ngige? You can count them all. This is the mess that the greedy people who have hijacked politics in our country have turned it to. It’s very unfortunate”.
Ezewunwa is not a lonely voice crying against political godfatherism in Nigeria.
A lawyer and female politician who wouldn’t want her name in prints told The Point that political godfathers have utterly destroyed politics in Nigeria.
She said, “There is nothing good about political godfathers and sons. It’s an evil coinage to destroy our system which they have achieved. When people hear them with these utterances, they think they are mere political jargons but the truth is that it is a cancer hindering development at all levels in our country. I’m a lawyer and politician of many years but what we are experiencing in politics is better imagined.
“For those of us who still recognize we are women and someone’s wife or even wife to be, we are treated as peppers by these godfathers. They want to have sex with you before you are given a chance either in elective positions or appointments. At several political meetings, you will have to confront their advances which they will boldly tell you that if you must get there you have no choice but to go along with them but if you don’t then you have decided to shut yourself out. I have heard this several times and I am not joking about it but how do you expect me to throw myself at a man who can be my father just because he wants to support or even sponsor me for a position?
“This is the reason some of us have backed out. I am a success story in my chosen profession. I’m not lacking, why then should I become a toy in the name of goddaughter to someone who is doing everything to protect his daughters and give them the best simply because I want a political position. I can’t do that.”
Our source recalled her experience as a vibrant youth in one of the leading political parties where she and others fought to make sure anomalies that went on in the party were brought to an end but after such moves which were for the good of the party, they were singled out and tagged enemies of the party.
“During the last administration, some of us as vibrant youth rose up to oppose some things that went wrong in our party as the ruling party. We met severally with the chieftains, made representations and our positions known to the party hierarchy, but rather than look into the matter, they were interested in becoming godfathers and we becoming godsons and goddaughters so that they “can push” us to achieve our political ambitions. Seriously speaking, we are marching backwards with the presence of godfatherism in our politics. Anyway, I am not saying every woman in politics is a toy to these godfathers. There can still be some who uphold their woman dignity.
“Singles like us are seen as sex objects 85% of the time and not our intelligence and capacity. Zero godfathers to talk to the cabals on our behalf like our men who are least capable have thuggery and hooliganism by opponents. No decent woman can on her own campaign and win an elective position without the help of the powers and 0.1% of us have that. Ireti kingibe of FCT merely got lucky with the LP tsunami.
“A few months ago in a political meeting I attended, I told my fellow women to excel in their day jobs and let our resumes speak for us as we go negotiate for appointments instead. We hope to make a difference in government offices like Dora Akunyili did with NAFDAC and Ifueko Omoigui did with FIRS and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is doing worldwide.”
Though she said she didn’t know much about how the older politicians in the first and second republics practiced the game, she said that history had it that once you are a quality product and could amass support from the people you did not need any old politician to support or sponsor you before you can get elected or appointed into an office.
“In those old dispensations, according to history, women in politics were highly respected but that is not the case now. Women were movers and shakers in our political arena contesting against their men folks. They didn’t need any godfather to approve their ambitions before being recognized. And that was why we had a voice, women were appointed into offices, some were elected and yet they were rookies who ventured into politics because of interest. Nobody frustrated them but now, if a woman is so vibrant these godfathers will gang up against her and destroy her career in politics.
“This is one of the reasons we are not competing with the men. But look at global politics, women are in leadership positions. We celebrated the late Franca Afegbua as the first woman Senator in Nigeria. She didn’t have to carry the bags of the Dafinones, the Ambrose Ali’s, name them, before she could become a Senator. All is bad with godfatherism in our politics and it’s getting worse by the day.
“As a lawyer I can tell you that the stage it’s gotten to in this administration, if not checkmated, will smash politics to death. A situation where the President has assumed the position of the law and the judiciary to midwife peace and settle the crisis created by the excesses of godfatherism between his minister and a sitting governor, giving the governor some stringent conditions for settlement is nauseating. Is the President now the constitution of the country? He could not look at Wike to his face and order him on what to do to bring back peace to the state, he rather played no victor, no vanquished in a matter that is threatening the economic stability of our country and national peace. It’s because he is involved in the same game. We don’t have politicians these days; all we have are political hustlers stealing the country to death in order to control everyone else. As long as there is no institution to challenge the excesses, there is no hope for the end of godfatherism in our politics,” she said.
A social commentator and politial analyst, Ikenga Adighibemma, said the advent of godfatherism in Nigeria has left the country’s politics in the hands of scavengers. Adighibemma recalled that in 1979 when a man who was a commercial cyclist took a candidate of the defunct Nigeria People’s Party in the old Imo State to FEDECO’s office to submit his nomination forms for election into state house of assembly and getting there, it was discovered that the candidate did not have tax clearance but the cyclist had his own at hand, the party substituted him as its candidate and that was how he contested election, won and became member of Imo State House of Assembly.
“Can this happen now when if you must contest in any election, some people who see themselves as owners of the political parties must groom you as their political son even when you know more than them and the only difference is that they have stolen the country to death either as politicians or so-called successful businessmen and can buy off anyone, any institution or agency to have their way to say who becomes governor, senator, member of house of representatives or state assembly. Even to become a member of a board of agencies you need a godfather. I want to know how a country progressing in this error can record political stability and development.
He said outsiders have hijacked politics and turned it to a cult where the “capol” dictates what happens and impresses upon the rest to implement.
“Political parties without ideology are mere cults. You have the lions and other animals that are there for two purposes: as meat and tools against perceived enemies. If you are loyal to the godfather, you keep rising even when you are seen as a disaster in your previous service. Was it not in Nigeria a man who wanted a governor that was a disaster in his first tenure to go for second term said when somebody failed in an exam he repeats and that the party should by virtue of failing to perform be given another chance to repeat. This sounds unbelievable but that’s where we are in our politics. A governor who performed woefully at the end of eight years hijacks either senatorial seat or ministerial position, would plant his godson to cover his crimes against the state and keep a tab on the man he planted to make sure he does his bidding. This is not politics.
“We witnessed this in Enugu State between the past governors and their successors beginning from Jim Nwobodo and Chimaroke Nnamani, Nnamani and Sullivan Chime to Chime and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi where the marriage went sour and the godsons chased away the godfathers from the state. The same is the story of Edo state. The late Anthony Anenih was holding sway, dictating who would be governor and who would not. He installed Oserheimen Osunbor and removed him by working against him in the tribunal because the man didn’t keep their agreement. Adams Oshiomhole took over and announced on national televisions, radios and newspapers the obituary of godfatherism in Edo State politics but when his tenure was winding up he turned around to become a godfather, he installed Godwin Obaseki but like other godfathers and godsons relationship, theirs broke down and he flaunted Osagie Ize-Iyamu to replace Obaseki but realized that he had lost it in the state. They are numerous, so I can’t count them all but what I am trying to prove is that we no longer have politicians and political parties that mean well for Nigeria. They are after having swollen bank accounts; amassing wealth for their unborn children while leaving dead Nigeria dry.”
He called for a constitutional amendment that will not only curtail the excesses of governors in running the affairs of political parties but will also define what a political party should be.
“When we have a constitution that will define the role of governors in our various political parties and what a political party should be, then I will tell you that we have started trading on the pathway to a real and true democracy. But for now, we are practicing an occultic system of governance where every member is loyal to who has the mystic power over and above others. And until we rediscover that this is what has been happening in a system we are calling democratic government, the country will continue to witness what is happening in Rivers State. Wait and see, more states will be engulfed soon.”
However, a social critic, Dawodu Danlana, said “Political godfathers and godsons are integral part of democracy and we should embrace it because we are not to swallow hook, line and sinker everything from the US system.”
Danlana said that the problems leading to the various crises breaking out from godfatherism are human nature.
“There is nothing wrong with a governor leaving office at the end of his two terms and producing his successor. If the governor has done so well while in office and believes that for the good work to continue, he has to anoint someone to take over from him, it’s a welcome development. All we need to say is that both the outgoing and incoming governors should not have selfishness as the bedrock for their decisions because the heart is desperately wicked. If the outgoing governor’s reason to plant his successor is still to remain in power from outside, then he is making a great mistake. His anointed son would play along to get there and then turn around to chase him away and make him irrelevant. This has been the reason all these crises are emanating from godfatherism. Okay, look at the Rivers State issue, it’s very clear that Wike anointed Governor Sim Fubara to shut out the party, I mean his party, PDP from relevance in the state because of the acrimony he had against Atiku and Secondus. He wanted to prove that he was or shall I say is still in charge of the party in the state and would use it to destabilize or bargain in 2027. But as you can see, unfortunately, at a very early stage he miscalculated and misfired.
“He acted as if he was a Garrison Commander. He is a serving minister of the Federal Government in a different party platform and his godson is a governor on another platform. I think Wike should have been wise enough to allow Fubara some space to run the government at this early stage while reminding him of the need for their agreement to be respected but he thought he is still the man of the moment. He started very early to make untenable demands knowing full well that his romance with the APC would create more enemies for him in the state. The Rivers State people were tolerating him then he pushed his luck too far.”
“There is nothing wrong with a governor leaving office at the end of his two terms and producing his successor.”
Danlana also noted that in a situation where the parties involved are greedy, the fifth columnists have their field day.
“This is also the case of Wike and Fubara. All the enemies of Wike are now very good friends of the governor. Of course that is the slogan in politics: your enemy’s enemy is your friend. The President has not helped matters with his intervention. I expected him to tell Wike to respect the governor and in return, the governor will as well accord him his due as his godfather. Like I said, everyone wants his legacy to continue, to live beyond him. Wike was in the news round the clock as Mr. Construction and that endeared him to the heart of not only Rivers people but Nigerians. He has failed to manage it with what should have added more accolades to him if he had allowed the bid for keeping his structure to take the back seat.”
The Oyo State era of late Lord of “Amala politics” Lamidi Adedibu and his godson Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja is another case study that exposed the secret behind the crisis that resulted from the agreement.
Adedibu on national television questioned whether he would not lick his fingers in a government he installed when the situation turned around negatively.
He fought the then governor to a standstill with support from the teeming electorates under his whims and caprice.
In Kano State, the current National Chairman of the ruling APC, Abdullahi Ganduje and his former boss, Rabiu Kwankwaso are still fighting dirty even when they have parted ways politically.
Former Governor James Ibori was a very respected godfather in Delta State that while he was in prison in the UK he was said to have anointed immediate past governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who eventually emerged the governor of the state.
But their ways were crossed in the last election of March 18 when Okowa rejected his candidate and anointed his own godson thereby pulling down the Ibori dynasty.
There has never been a state where an ex-governor planted his anointed godson that did not produce regrets. The Chris Ngige saga was actually the eye opener for the godsons.
His godfather, Chris Ubah did not only make sure he was removed at the tribunal, he organised his kidnap but the former Minister of Labour fought tirelessly and curried the support of his people through his good governance but that did not save him as he lost the seat to his successor, Peter Obi of the All Progressive Grand Alliance after a prolonged litigation that got to the apex court of the land.
