Political Elite Theory and Political Elite Recruitment in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper is on political elite theory, its application and relevance to political elite recruitment in Nigeria. It gives an analysis of the elite theory and further enunciates its principles, tenets, ideas, assumptions, application, strengths and weaknesses. It also traces back the issue of political elite transformation, succession or change to communal life in ancient Africa and further analyses the process of political elite recruitment in Nigeria from independence in 1960 to 2015 in the fourth republic. The paper observes that political succession in ancient and pre-colonial Africa was crisis-ridden and that the process of political elite recruitment in Nigeria since independence in 1960 to 2015 was full of flaws, manipulations and anti-democratic tendencies in allusion to basic assumptions or ideas of political elite theory. The paper therefore concludes that the elite theory is very apt, applicable and relevant as a framework of analysis for political elite recruitment in Nigeria.

Keywords: Elite circulation, leadership re-cycling, oligarchy, political elite, political mafia, political power, power broker