@article{MAKHILLPJSS20201737777,
    title = {Machine Politics Intra-Party Polyarchy and Democratic Recession in Nigeria},
    journal = {Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences},
    volume = {17},
    number = {3},
    pages = {210-216},
    year = {2020},
    issn = {1683-8831},
    doi = {pjssci.2020.210.216},
    url = {https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?issn=1683-8831&doi=pjssci.2020.210.216},
    author = {Abada Ifeanyichukwu,Okafor,Nneka,Tr. and},
    keywords = {Elitism,democracy,Godfather,political party,vote buying},
    abstract = {The dismantling of autocratic and Aristotelian
regimes and dynasties in Africa following the forces of
colonialism and later, the independence of greater number
of developmental states in post-colonial Africa has swiftly
ushered in democracy. As a political entity, Nigeria
having gotten her flag independence in 1960 has been
influenced significantly by the exogenous forces of
democracy and democratization process taking over the
world polity as contained in the philosophy of liberalism.
But in as much as the wave of democracy seems to be
appreciated, it has been truncated by the post colonial
characteristics of African political demagogues internal
wrangling among elites in the political parties striving to
select candidates for their personal aggrandizement at the
expense of the mass members of the party. This is
believed, affects the entrenchment of democratic values in
Nigerian political system. However, arising from the
premise of the study, it is the thrust of the paper to
investigates how leaders of political parties in Nigeria
have been implicated in the selection of candidates,
political party decision making and their implications in
withering the democratic modulation in the country. The
study utilized qualitative method in generating its data,
while content analysis was employed. The theoretical
frame work of analysis is adequately anchored on the
theory of elite as propounded by Vilfredo Pareto,
Graetano Mosca and Robert Mitchel. The findings of the
study has significantly revealed that the inabilities of
developmental states to appreciate the dividends of
democracy is chiefly attributed to unholy democratic
characters exhibited by big party stalwarts while selecting
candidates to contest vacant political positions in the
country. Therefore, arising from the findings, the paper
recommends among others; that political parties should
strive for democratic holiness. Hence, there is need to
reposition the letters and spirit of its constitution in
selection of candidates to fill vacant political positions.}
    }