Godfatherism and Electoral Politics in Rivers State, Nigeria 2015-2024

Godfatherism has remained a defining feature of electoral politics in Rivers state, Nigeria, influencing political structures, candidate selection, state revenues/resources and governance outcomes. This study examines the role of political godfathers in shaping electoral politics in Rivers state from 2015 to 2024, assessing their impact on democratic processes, political stability, and governance effectiveness. Specifically, it investigates two key research questions: 1. Does the quest to impose or dominate candidates account for the escalation of post-electoral violence in Rivers state? 2. Does the incessant drive to control state revenue account for instability and poor governance in Rivers state? The study adopts Elite Theory as its theoretical framework, highlighting how the politics of godfatherism duly undermine electoral politics in Rivers state via the fostering of extreme elitist democracy and a money-driven electioneering structure, putting the populace as 'onlookers,' and continues to deny Nigerians much-needed institutional, political and socio-economic advancement. Using an ex-post facto research design, data was collected from secondary sources such as government reports, journals, and statistical bulletins. The analysis employs content analysis used to objectively and systematically identify, explore, quantify and analyze specified contents of the various sources of data collected in order to make inferences so as to discover how particular issues are presented. Findings indicate that godfatherism has continued to dominate Rivers state politics, with key political figures influencing election outcomes through patronage networks and coercion. Recommendations from the study emphasize the need to strengthen internal party democracy and enforce open primaries to ensure transparent candidate selection processes in Rivers state politics.