Effect of Political Godfatherism on Local Government Performance in Ekiti State: A Study of Ekiti Central Local Government Area

This study examines the effect of political godfatherism on the developmental performance of local government authorities in Ekiti Central Local Government Area of Ekiti State, South West Nigeria. Political godfatherism, characterized by the domination of elected officials by powerful political patrons, constitutes a significant governance challenge in Nigerian politics, distorting resource allocation, undermining meritocracy, and eroding the developmental mandates of elected executives. The study employs a descriptive qualitative design with data gathered from 25 key informants comprising former and serving council officials, political party stalwarts, journalists, and civil society representatives through semi-structured interviews. The Neo-Patrimonialism Theory and the Political Economy of Governance Framework provide the conceptual grounding. Secondary data includes Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission records, party nomination documents, and academic literature on political patronage in Nigerian governance. Thematic analysis is applied to the qualitative data. Findings are expected to demonstrate that godfatherism distorts budget priorities, leads to appointment of unqualified officials, and reduces council accountability to constituents. The study contributes to the literature on political economy and sub-national governance in South West Nigeria. Recommendations include strengthening internal party democracy, establishing independent anti-corruption monitoring of council officials, and civic education programs on political rights at the community level. Keywords: Godfatherism, local government, performance, Ekiti State, political patronage.