The Nigeria Political Class and the Quest For Good Governance in Abubakar Gimba’s Innocent

Emerging from the experience of colonialism, Nigerians craved for assessable and affordable leadership and governance from the emerging politicians who took over the mantle of leadership. Unfortunately, such hope was dashed as they failed in their promises and responsibilities for entrenching sustainable development in the country. This paper examines Abubakar Gimba’s novel Innocent Victims and explores his idea of the leadership question in Nigeria and the quest for patriotic, dedicated and committed leaders that will transform the nation to the peak of development bearing in mind the abundant human and natural resources the country is blessed with. The paper observes through a Marxist interrogation of the novel that morality is an essential element in good leadership. It also explores the class stratification in Nigerian political system that negates the lower class, such that it affects the leadership and governance demonstration in Nigeria, hence, good governance and development has eluded the nation. It further craves for a shift from the present phenomenon to a more proactive state. Key Words: Colonialism, Leadership, Corruption, Governance and Development