MACHIAVELLIANISM IN NIGERIAN POLITICS: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPRAISAL

SOURCE:

Faculty: Arts
Department: Department Of Philosophy

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ogonnaya, C. K.
Ogugua, P


ABSTRACT:

Since Nigeria’s Political independence till date, she has not faired very well
as a country in terms of political leadership. Instead the struggle for power
and its sustenance has progressively dominated the political landscape of
Nigeria. Lack of patriotism and the passion for service delivery has gone
under. Many reasons have been adduced for this unfortunate development.
This work posits that Machiavellianism which champions the cause of
political expediency above morality and the use of deceit or manipulation in
statecraft is at the centre of the problem. The state exists for the
preservation of the common good of her citizens, and government is the
concrete system through which the objective of the state (the common
good) is realised. But over the years, the glorification of deception, craft and
shrewdness as essential tools in the governance of a state have had a
direct negative bearing on the Nigerian state thereby making the virtuous
pursuit of the common good unrealisable. A combination of analytical and
comparative methods were employed to expose Machiavellianism as a
school of thought in political philosophy, which Nigerian politicians had
accepted hook, line and sinker. It was discovered in this work that due to
the excessive craze for political power and its retention at all costs, Nigerian
politician stops at nothing including engaging in all kinds of impunity to see
this desired goal realised. This has made decent leadership in Nigeria very
elusive while the triumph of desperation is the order of the day. This work
condemned Machiavellianism as a brand of politics for it negates the
hallmarks of an ideal state which are justice and good moral standard. This
work concludes that since philosophy seeks the ideal always, politics in
Nigeria should be seen as that which provides the best of ends and not as a
“do or die” affair and a means of exploitation of the common wealth. It
therefore recommends the strengthening of the spread of the philosophic
life, deepening of Nigeria’s civic education curriculum, sensitisation of the
people and moral regeneration as panaceas for the growth of democratic
values and good governance in Nigeria.