GODFATHERISM AND 2019 ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) PRIMARY ELECTION CRISES IN ZAMFARA STATE

Abstract

Since the attainmentof Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the country has experiencedmilitary rule for nearly three decades. In 1999, Nigeria returned to democratic rule, full of hope and aspirations that the system will guarantee political equality, human rights and rule of law among others. However, one of the challenges that bedeviled the country’s democratic consolidation is political godfatherism that enables the elites to manipulate and disenfranchise citizens, particularly at the party level. In Nigeria, godfatherism has become a political instrument to an extent that having access to political office requires not only votes but a political godfather. Zamfara State is not an exception. Since 1999, political godfathers in the state ensure that the political leadership revolves around few individuals who are perceived to be loyalists to godfathers.The gross violation of APC’s party constitution with regards to the party’s primary election perpetuated by the godfathers of the ruling APC in the state led to the nullifications of the electoral victory and subsequently the loss of all political offices won by the ruling APC in the state. Thus, this study assesses the impact of godfatherism oninternal party politics in Nigeria, using the 2019 Zamfara APC primary election crisis as a case study. The study relies on both primary and secondary sources of data and argues that pollical godfathers in their quest for power have no regard for party constitution and rules guiding the conduct of party primaries. Therefore, the study recommends that, internal democracy must be restored to allow party members enjoy political equality and exercise their franchise.