LEADERSHIP, CORRUPTION AND REVOLUTION IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIAN DRAMA: AN ANALYSIS OF CHARLES NWADIGWE’S UDOJIAND EMEKA NWBUEZE’SA PARLIAMENT OF VULTURES

Abstract

Right from the colonial period to this post-colonial era, the Nigeria political space has  constantly  faced  one  recurring  problem;  leadership.  Almost  all  crises  that have occurred at different periods of Nigeria’spolitical  history  have  all  been leadership  instigated.  From  the  conflict  that  characterized  the  indirect  rule introduced by the imperialists during the colonial era, to the Nigeria –Biafra civil war  of  the  postcolonial  period,  down  to  the  coups  and  counter coup d’états that held  sway  during  the  military  era,  then  to  the  more  contemporary  times  during which  various  security  challenges  like  farmers -herders  clash,  boko  haram insurgency  reared  their  heads.  These  instances  are  all  fallouts  and  aftermaths  of poor   leadership   institution   in   the   Nigeria   nation-space   right   from   time immemorial. As a result of this weak leadership structure which was first built by the colonial masters as exemplified in Charles Nwadigwe’s Udoji, corruption like an incurable virus infested the blood stream of Nigeria’s political system and so instead of service to the people becoming the primary and sole purpose of vying for  leadership  positions,  wealth  acquisition  through  flagrant  embezzlement  of public funds became the motivating factor as portrayed in Emeka Nwabueze’s A Parliament  of  Vultures.  From  all  indications,  Nigerian  dramatists  who  are  also adversely  affected  by  this  vampire-leadership  style  that  suck  the  nation  dry  are obviously in the forefront of the anti-corruption campaign. This is in recognition of  the  potency  of  drama  as  a  viable  tool  for  interrogating  salient  sociopolitical issues  that  require  attention.  Hence,  the  two  plays  studied  demonstrate  that  the nation’s leadership institution is infested by a can of worms andso needs urgent sanitization  if  the  country  must  be  redeemed  from  an  impending  total  collapse. The  researcher  employed  the  qualitative  methodology  thus  while Udojiand A parliament of Vultures–the two plays studied in the work –were used as primary tools  for  the  critical  analysis  of  the  research  problem,  library  and  internet materials provided secondary sources of data. The playwrights having utilized the Marxist  aesthetics  prescribe  revolution  as  the  effective  means  of  pulling  the nation  out  of  the  cesspool  of  corruption  she  is  enmeshed  in.  There  are  therefore glimmers of hope that by taking such radical step, Nigeria will be redeemed from the clutches of bad leadership