EXAMINING NIGERIA POLITICAL CULTURE USING IGBO SATIRICAL POEMS: A LITERARY TOOL FOR POSITIVE CHANGE

Abstract

The study looks at the many challenges the Nigerian populace go through in the hands of bad ignorant leaders. This means that this paper is not about discussing political regimes rather it is about x-raying the dividends of bad governance that the citizens of Nigeria are already used to. After 1999, when true democracy and better standard of living were least felt in Nigeria, some Nigerians may not comfortably say if they still know what dividends of democracy are. Yet new leaders are elected at every given time with promises of making the situation better for their citizens. Politicians come with empty promises just to be given a chance to loot the country’s economy. These promises are speedily forgotten immediately elections commence; not even after elections. This paper tries to reflect on several times Igbo writers had used their works to satirize the political culture of the country with hopes that politicians would change for good. To do this better, the descriptive method of analysis is adopted. It is discovered that if a greater number of political leaders in the country read these satirical works, there will be great changes in the way Nigeria is governed, after all the major role of satire is to right a wrong. It is recommended that political leaders find time to read write-ups about their government from the people they rule, organize series of vox-pop from time to time in order to hear from the people and then know how best to better their lives.