THE DARK ARTS OF GOVERNANCE: MACHIAVELLIAN TACTICS AMONG NIGERIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELITES

The paper examined the relationship between elites’ pervasive Machiavellian tactics and the performance of local governments in the Nigerian Fourth Republic. Through 1976 reform, local government became third tier of government which receives, apart from its internal revenues, monthly financial allocations from the Federation Account. The essence is to make it effective and efficient in carrying out its constitutional roles of promoting dividends of both democracy and good governance at the grassroots. Also, to reach wide spectrum of the Nigerian grassroots, it has undergone incremental reorganisations from 301 in 1984 to 774. Despite the reforms and incremental reorganisations, local governments are found to underperform their constitutional responsibilities to the grassroots’ people. The paper employed analytico-causal approach which was done through library research. It was found out that the failure of Nigerian local governments in providing grassroots people with dividends of democracy and good governance was sequel to elites’ pervasive Machiavellian tactics input into 1999 Nigerian Constitution. This is not without negative implications for Nigeria’s security and socio-economic development. To make local governments deliver dividends of democracy and good governance to Nigerian grassroots, the removal of elite’s Machiavellian tactics input into the 1999 Nigerian Constitution which alienates grassroots people from the controls of local governments is necessary. It is also important to prioritize democracy as a national ideal in order assuage the negative implications of non-performance of local governments in Nigeria