PDP’s Jandor says widespread poverty fuels political godfatherism, weakening party democracy and hindering reform in Nigeria’s political system
The 2023 Lagos State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has attributed the grip of political godfathers across Nigeria to widespread poverty, warning that the situation continues to undermine internal democracy within political parties.
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Speaking during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Jandor explained how entrenched local power structures and economic hardship allow a few influential individuals to dictate political outcomes—often at the expense of broader democratic participation.
“In a situation where you have a political leader in charge of an entire local government, it means that if anyone wants to contest for any position, they only need to negotiate with one person,” he said.
There’s poverty at the grassroots, and with just a sprinkle of money or incentives, people quickly align with whoever appears to be the benefactor.
He argued that this system perpetuates dependency, strengthens the hands of political patrons, and stifles the development of true democratic institutions.
According to Jandor, many parties, including the PDP, face difficulty fostering genuine internal democracy due to this dynamic.
“Without strong electoral reforms to prevent individuals from ‘owning’ delegates and party structures, it’s hard to escape the influence of godfathers,” he said.
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He further noted that the issue cuts across all political parties—whether large or small—adding that the scale of attention often corresponds to the party’s national visibility, not the depth of the problem.
