NIGERIAN POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY: A PERSPECTIVE OF IGBO LITERATURE

Abstract

Nigerian politics is characterized by many antisocial behaviours like god-father syndrome, thuggery, electoral malpractices, extermination of lives, bribery and corruption, imposition of candidates on citizens, fake/empty promises, violence, tribalism, nepotism and wasteful spending. Apart from election periods, one of the ways by which people get to know about these vices is through their literature. Literature mirrors the society’s behaviours. It informs persuades, convinces, mobilizes and even caricatures the ways and manners by which some of these abnormal practices listed above are exhibited. It is on this note, therefore, that this paper sets out to x-ray politics and democracy in Nigeria through literature. To do this effectively, six Igbo literature texts are examined. The six books under review cut across the three genres of literature – prose, drama and poetry. The social ills characterized by Nigerian politics are exposed and recommendations were made on how to achieve good governance. The paper concludes by urging Nigerians in general to patronize their indigenous literature so as to help achieve a sustainable democracy and stable political system.