On August 3, 2024, our Fellows hosted their third Green Circle Conversation via Twitter Space, focusing on “Godfatherism: The Positive and Negative Effects on Nigerian Politics and Democracy.” The event attracted over 50 participants, including our fellows who served as panellists: Iwueseter-Natu Kwaghtagher, Sewuese Tofi, and Toluwani Ojo-Lanre, with Okechukwu Obasi moderating. The conversation lasted approximately 90 minutes, during which the panellists engaged in dynamic discussions and interactions with the audience.
Discussion Objectives:
The primary objective of this activity was to enlighten the public about the effects of godfatherism in Nigerian politics and democracy.
Discussion Highlights:
The first speaker, Iwueseter-Natu Kwaghtagher addressed how godfatherism influences the political landscape by determining election outcomes and its detrimental impact on democratic processes. “Godfatherism masquerades as mentorship,” she remarked, explaining that godfathers act as obstacles in one’s political journey. She encouraged building networks through platforms like EPLF to avoid these pitfalls and urged young people to be productive, resourceful, and challenge stereotypes. She emphasized that despite the persistence of godfatherism, resourcefulness can lead to success.
Sewuese Tofi, the second speaker highlighted the need for grassroots awareness to inform people about their political power, noting that the uninformed often outnumber the informed. She criticized how godfatherism undermines democracy and stated that democratic dividends are realized when qualified individuals are in power. “Nigerians need to separate elections from religion and ethnicity,” she said, adding that while godfathers may expedite political advancement, it often comes at a cost.
Key Insights:
While the negative effects of godfatherism are more pronounced, the panellists explored both sides of the issue. Approximately 70% of the audience were non-fellows, indicating successful outreach and engagement, with significant interaction from the audience.
Next Steps:
The speakers recommended that organizations funding institutional awareness programmes should also support smaller projects that aim to reach grassroots levels. They emphasized the need for door-to-door campaigns to redefine stakeholder engagement.
Their parting message was, “We should keep pushing for reforms in political parties to counter pre-primaries shenanigans.”
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