The Nigerian State and Patrimonial Politics: Implications for Grassroots Democracy

THE PATRIMONIAL STATE AND GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA. Patrimonialism combines congrously with other modes of state-society relations, particularly ethnicity and incorporation to influence virtually every political process in Nigeria irrespective of the regime in power. This powerful combination engenders political ills such as personalization of political institutions, distribution of patronage in exchange for political support,tempestuous struggle to control state power, and corruption generally. The result is political instability, which hampers democracy generally and grassroots democracy in particular.