Socio-political relevance of patron-client relationship in ancient Roman and Nigerian cultures

Abstract

One major issue that has generated controversy in Nigerian political scene is patron-client relationship known in Nigerian parlance as ‘godfatherism’. At the inception of Nigerian nascent democracy in 1999, the concept of patronage or godfatherism has been in the front burner of political discourse. Scholars have written extensively on the effect of patronage on the socio-political space of the Nigerian society. Many of the scholarly works have condemned, in its entirety, the concept of godfatherism.
In ancient Roman society, also, patron-client relationship was fundamental to the development of that society. Unlike the case in Nigeria, patron-client relationship was socially accepted and have a legal backing. It is simply a relationship between two unequal parties in which the weaker party looked to the stronger for protection and the stronger expected the weaker to show gratitude, loyalty and respect.
In view of the above, this study will examine the socio-political relevance of patron-client relationship in ancient Roman and Nigerian cultures by exploring the parallels between the two cultures. The paper will also explore patron-client relationship as a resource for positivistic political organisation and discuss how its use can be modified to engender overall development in core sectors of the Nigerian polity.