African Journal of Political Science and International Relations Vol. 1 (2), 028-037, November 2007          
ISSN 1996-0832 © 2006 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Corruption, Governance and Political Instability in Nigeria

Omololu Fagbadebo

Department of Political Science,Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile-Ife, Nigeria. E-mail: tomololu@oauife.edu.ng, otomololu@yahoo.com. Tel: +234 803 351 7769, +234 807 631 8671.

Accepted 4, October 2007

The Nigerian State is a victim of high-level corruption, bad governance, political instability and a cyclical legitimacy crisis. Consequently, national development is retarded, and the political environment uncertain. The country’s authoritarian leadership faced a legitimacy crisis, political intrigues, in an ethnically - differentiated polity, where ethnic competition for resources drove much of the pervasive corruption and profligacy. While the political gladiators constantly manipulated the people and the political processes to advance their own selfish agenda, the society remained pauperized, and the people wallowed in abject poverty. This invariably led to weak legitimacy, as the citizens lacked faith in their political leaders and by extension, the political system. Participation in government was low because citizens perceived it as irrelevant to their lives. In the absence of support  from civil society, the effective power of government was eroded. Patron - client relationships took a prime role over the formal aspects of politics, such as the rule of law, well-functioning political parties, and a credible electoral system. In order to break this cycle and ensure good governance, accountability and transparency must be guaranteed.

Key words: Corruption, legitimacy, patron – client relations, political stability, oil revenue,  accountability, transparency.