From Democracy to Thugocracy: The Impacts of Politically Motivated Wages on the Democratic Process and Good Governance in Nigeria

Abstract

Political offices in Nigeria have juicy politically motivated wages and allowances attached to them, making them much sought after positions by all and sundry whether one possesses the requisite qualifications or not. This study therefore explores the impacts of the politically motivated wages on the political process in Nigeria and finds that the wages have turned politics into battle fields and investment areas where the use of private armies (thugs) and huge financial expenditure guarantee
victories at the polls rather than the votes cast by the electorates. To restore sanity to the democratic process in the country, the paper advocates for the reduction of the politically motivated wages to be in line with the wages of the Federal Civil Servants in Nigeria. This will remove soldiers of fortune from the political process; eliminate or reduce corruption; political assassinations; violence and malpractices that have characterized the democratic process in Nigeria.