Political Entrtepreneurs and Dividends of Democracy in Nigeria: Some Reflections

Abstract

This paper looks at the concept of political entrepreneurship, its features and impact on politics in Nigeria. It paints the picture of most Nigerian politicians striving for elective positions and political appointments  only to become pawns on the political chessboards of political entrepreneurs; a game that has disenfranchised a good number of Nigerians and made unhappy many rational political office holders. Poverty and gullibility of those aspiring to political elective or appointed positions have been given as major reasons for the prevailing situation. The paper ends with some recommendations such as legislatively restricting the amount of money political parties and their individual contestants to positions can spend on electoral campaigns, ban of former Chief Executives of the three tiers of government from further contests and ban on internal and external financial sponsorship of political office aspirants as a way of sanitizing the political terrain but laments that except for political providence such suggestions would be  a Herculean task, understandably as they would be opposed by the political powers that be.

Keywords: Political entrepreneurs, political kingmakers, political god-fatherism, unfair campaigns.