Godfatherism and Kano State’s relevance in national politics

Abstract

This paper aimed to get the understanding of godfatherism in Kano in the context of Nigerian democracy. It gauged the various views and perspectives of indigenous people with adequate political awareness in Kano. The paper also tried to identify the root causes of godfatherism in Kano tracing its history and evolution in a trajectory to figure out the significance of Kano State in national politics. Content Analysis is used to analyze the views of interviewees and other primary and secondary sources of data collected for the paper. The paper found that the understanding of godfatherism in Kano State is not very different from the general understanding of the phenomenon in Nigeria but when it is in play in Kano, it is violent and confrontational with traces of bigotry. Godfatherism in Kano essentially emerged as a necessity in search for political mentorship but then turned into a strategy employed by incumbents to cover up their past inadequacies, vices and corruption in office. Also, Kano politics plays a significant role in determining or at least giving an edge to presidential aspirants in leading the country through its large votes and how politically active its inhabitants are. The paper therefore recommends adequate political sensitization by all stakeholders to educate citizens on the dangers of godfatherism and the fact that politics is a means to an end and not an end in itself. Also, institutions and agencies fighting vices and corrupt practices should professionally engage corrupt politicians no matter what their status is to curb the evils of godfatherism and promote good governance.