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SASEYI FEYIJIMI
PRIMORDIAL/PREBENDAL THEORY OF VOTING BEHAVIOUR
Primordialism is the idea that nations or ethnic identities are fixed,
natural and ancient. The primordialists argue that individuals have a
single ethnic identify which is not subject to change and which has
external origins or causes to historical processes. The theory postulates
that people are bound together by age long genetic links or cultural
similarities based on language, religion, territory and kingship.
The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines primordial as
something existing at or from the beginning of the world. Voting
behaviour is a form of electoral behaviour and political scientists have
suggested that understanding voters behaviour can explain how and
why certain decisions were made by the electorate.
Prebendal on the other hand is described as an official position
profitable for the incumbent. An office held with stipends or monetary
rewards attached to it.
Prebendalism refers to political systems where elected officials and
government workers feel they have a right to a share of government
revenues, and use them to benefit their supporters, co-religionists and
members of their ethnic group.
The origin of prebendalism can be traced to the church in the early
days. The Collins dictionary describes prebend as the part of the
revenues of a cathedral or collegiate church paid as a clergyman’s
salary.
Richard A. Joseph wrote in 1996 “according to the theory of
prebendalism, state offices are regarded as prebends that can be
appropriated by office holders, who use them to generate material
benefits for themselves and their constituents and kin groups”.
In Nigeria political office holders reward their party members, families
or even friends with so called “juicy” appointments, as soon as they
are in office.
As a result of this he is said, Nigeria has regularly been one of the lowest
ranked nations for political transparency by the Transparency
International in its corruption deception index.
Many political office holders in Nigeria see political office as the cash
cow while the electorate also hold the same view when exercising
their franchise.
In my own opinion prebendalism encourages
corruption.
References:
1. Joseph, Richard “Nigeria Inside the Dismal Tunnel”, Current History
May, 1996.
2. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, New 8th Edition.
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