Political Corruption, Government Legitimacy and Democracy in Nigeria, 1999 – 2015

The paper examined the effects of corruption among public officials and political leaders on government legitimacy and democracy in Nigeria between 1999 and 2015. The paper, which adopts documentary and qualitative descriptive methods in collecting and analyzing the relevant data, is underpinned by the elite theory. The contention of the paper is that endemic corruption in the polity can be situated among the ruling elites who control political power and resources. In the context of the power relations framework, state powers are manipulated and appropriated to amass resources and sustain networks of relationships core to consolidating elites hold on power as well as perpetuating the subordination of the un-elite majority. The finding from the paper shows that political corruption undermined the ability of government to deliver public goods and services, contributing in part to the decline in popular trust in government, institutions, processes and the attendant dissatisfaction with the political system in Nigeria during the period. The paper recommends that the political leadership in Nigeria needed to reconsider their present kind of politics which focuses more on money and self for a service oriented politics. This will enhance the rule of law, popular participation in governance, governmental accountability and legitimacy; and thereby halt the slide towards political authoritarianism and democratic reversal in Nigeria