Political+Culture

=Political Culture (SB)=

Significant Political Trends 1) Patron-clientelism (prebendalism): the practice of exchanging political and economic favors among patrons and clients, is almost always accompanied by corruption “Clinton Attacks Corruption and Bad Governance” [] In a recent town hall meeting, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton highlighted the corruption which has plagued the Nigerian government since its independence. A significant number of Nigerian politicians, throughout the last few decades, have been accused of currying favor with various factions and religious groups, through the use of political favors and corrupt bargaining. In the article, which first appeared on Jan. 28 of this year, voiced her fear that radicalization would begin to plague the lives of younger Nigerians and would leave them susceptible to those militants looking for new recruits to attack the West. General Sani Abacha, pictured to the left, served as the tenth Nigerian president, and during his presidency, reports circulated that some $500 million were still frozen in Swiss bank accounts, even after his death. And this too was in addition to the $2.2 billion he already stole from state coffers. He was also accused of carrying out thousands of executions against political naysayers.



2) State control/ undeveloped civil society: **civil society** refers to the sectors of a country that lie outside government control – in Nigeria, the state controls almost all aspects of life – economic pursuits, individual actions, religious activities, and political participation. “Widespread Irregularities Mar Nigerian State Poll” [] Following recent Anambra state elections in Nigeria, in late January of 2010, voters argued that widespread irregularities in the election results showed the government’s desire to control the people, by manipulating the polls and failing to organize credible national polls. Names were not found on electoral rolls and many feared that political unrest would wreak havoc on the unstable state. All four candidates reported an irregularity in the obvious fact that although the majority of residents in Anambra are of the Ibo ethnicity, the register was said to show Hausa and Yoruba names of different candidates. This comes after the 2007 presidential elections, when President Umaru Yar’Adua (pictured left) came to power in spite of widespread ballot-stuffing and voter intimidation. Even after decades of finally achieving their independence, the Nigerian people and organizations like the INEC, Nigeria’s electoral commission, must resolve issues surrounding an undeveloped civil society.

3) Tension between modernity and tradition: Nigeria struggles to become a strong, modern nation, as its colonial past and its status as a colony has restricted its ability to reach that goal. Nigeria remains in a subservient economic position, and once they became a free nation, ethnic-based military conflicts and personalized, corrupt leadership practices prevented the nation from modernizing. “The Interface between Tradition and Modernity” [] When the British first colonized the region in Africa that would come to be known as Nigeria, tribes were created and chiefs were appointed, all as a tactical strategy of dividing and conquering the various ethnic groups living there. As evidenced by the Northern Nigerian woman pictured on the right, there exists an ever-present rift between traditional views of tribes and chiefs as leaders and more modern views of democracy and elected officials as leaders. This struggle continues as both sides are steadfast in their beliefs and their quest for success. Tradition and modernity help define their growth as a nation, but it also leads to some of the deadliest conflicts, as traditionalists and modernists try to reach a balance.



4) Religious conflict - Beginning in the 11th century, Islam has influenced northern Nigeria, first by coexisting with native religions and finally by supplanting them. Christianity came with the missionaries, but most Muslims continue to support shari'a, or religious law, as a valid part of political authortiy. Gun violence in Nigeria: a focus on ethno-religious conflict in Kano.” [] The article documents the growing gun culture in Nigeria and the conflict that has stemmed as a result of the tension between the Islamic and Christian faiths and each group’s radical supporters. In recent times, notably in February 2004, 67 Christians were massacred in a church in Yelwa, in a city south of Kano. Christian militias retaliated with the brutal deaths of several hundred Muslims. The Muslim north and the Christians living throughout the country have been at war since the country’s independence. Through the use of small arms and light weapons (SALW), the violence has increased in Nigeria and has significantly reduced the opportunities for acceptance for the variosu ethnic groups in the country. Human rights violations do little to slow down the struggle to prove one religion’s or region’s perceived superiority. The division of the nation, which first took place at British hands, continues to divide the country and its approximately 250 ethnic groups.



5) Geographic influences: Located in West Africa, with the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to its south, Nigeria has the largest population of an African nation, with 130 million people. Additionally, the country has been divided into 6 regions.

à  Northwest: The Hausa-Fulani people predominate, as does the Islamic faith à  Northeast - Many smaller groups, including Kanuri, all are primarily Muslim à  Middle Belt - Smaller ethnic grouups, with a mix of both Muslims and Christians à  Southwest - The Yaruba dominate here, with 40% Muslim, 40% Christian, and about 20% devoted to native religions à  Southeast - The Igbo live here, and are primarily Roman Catholic, but with a growing number of Protestant Christians à  The Southern Zone - Includes the delta of the huge Niger River, and its people belong to various small minority groups

"One Nation, Under Gods" []

Eliza Griswold, an author who has traveled and written about Nigerian culture, analyzes the growing rift between the Christian and Muslim community in the most populous country in Africa. She visited synagogues and megachurches (the latter having a strong number of Pentecostal parishioners) for research for her book "God's Country." Griswold explains the strong animosity between those living in northern Nigeria, who are predominantly Muslim, and those living in southern Nigeria, who are predominantly Christian. The meeting point of the two groups, a meeting that often ends in bloodhsed and tragedy, takes place in teh country's central region: the Middle Belt. She observes that while climate changes have united the groups, there is a also a scramble to procreate as a way of preserving the competition over scarce resources. Having existed for decades, the ethnic-religious conflict which continues to harm the nation's growth and development now includes the geographic influence of the north, south, and Middle Belt.