In January 8, 2026, Rivers State lawmakers launched their third attempt to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the latest explosion in a power struggle with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike. But this isn't just another political crisis. It's the clearest window yet into political godfatherism, a system that has defined Nigerian democracy since 1999.

In this episode, we trace how wealthy patrons use money, influence, and violence to install governors, then demand control over state resources in return. We explore the colonial-era roots of patron-client politics, the 1999 transition that supercharged godfatherism, and the brutal conflicts in Anambra, Oyo, Lagos, and Rivers that reveal a pattern: every generation of leaders reproduces the cycle, installing godsons who inevitably seek to become godfathers themselves.

Further Resources:

1. Statement by President Tinubu on the Cessation of the State of ..., accessed January 10, 2026, https://statehouse.gov.ng/statement-by-president-tinubu-on-the-cessation-of-the-state-of-emergency-in-rivers-state/
2. God-Father Politics: Contextualising and Historicising the Nigeria's Fourth Republic Experience - ResearchGate, accessed January 10, 2026, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364935465_God-Father_Politics_Contextualising_and_Historicising_the_Nigeria's_Fourth_Republic_Experience
3. POLITICS OF GODFATHERISM IN NIGERIA JOHN O. ASOGWA, Ph.D. Department of Public Administration Enugu State University of Science, accessed January 10, 2026, https://www.gojamss.net/index.php/OJAMSS/article/download/176/211
4. GODFATHERISM AND QUEST FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA Ratzinger E. E. Nwobodo* Abstract The choice of many countries of the wor, accessed January 10, 2026, https://acjol.org/index.php/NJP/article/download/4530/4404
5. GOD FATHERISM AND POLITICAL PATRONAGE IN NIGERIA: A THEORETICAL OVERVIEW RASAK Bamidele Ph.D , OYE Adeniyi Joseph , AKE Modupe P - The world's largest collection of open access research papers, accessed January 10, 2026, https://files01.core.ac.uk/download/pdf/162155481.pdf
6. Fairy godfathers and magical elections: understanding the 2003 electoral crisis in Anambra State, Nigeria* | The Journal of Modern African Studies, accessed January 10, 2026