Followers' Behaviour and Leadership Effectiveness in Nigeria's Fourth Republic: Evidence from 2010–2024

                @article{CRSIJ26000413,
                  author = {Amb. Ike-Onuigbo Chinyere Gift, Ph.D},
                  title = {Followers' Behaviour and Leadership Effectiveness in Nigeria's Fourth Republic: Evidence from 2010–2024},
                  journal = {Cosmo Research and Science International Journal},
                  year = {2026},
                  volume = {2},
                  number = {2},
                  pages = {738-751},
                  issn = {3108-1584},
                  url = {https://cosmorsij.com/published/CRSIJ26000413.pdf},
                  abstract = {Leadership effectiveness in democratic societies is commonly examined from the perspective of political leaders, institutions and policy outcomes, while comparatively less attention is given to the behavioural role of followers. Yet democratic governance depends not only on the quality and conduct of leaders but also on how citizens, voters, party members, civil society actors and other political followers respond to, support, challenge and constrain those who exercise political authority. This study examines the relationship between followers' behaviour and leadership effectiveness in Nigeria's Fourth Republic, focusing on the period 2010–2024. The study adopts a qualitative documentary research design, drawing on peer-reviewed literature, official electoral records, scholarly analyses of Nigeria's Fourth Republic, and relevant conceptual literature on followership. Followership theory provides the principal analytical framework, complemented by democratic-participation and political-accountability perspectives. The analysis identifies five major dimensions of followers' behaviour: electoral participation, political loyalty and clientelism, civic monitoring and criticism, collective mobilisation, and compliance or resistance to political authority. Evidence indicates that followers have simultaneously enabled and constrained leadership effectiveness. Supportive and participatory followership can strengthen political legitimacy, electoral competition, policy implementation and accountability, while passive, client list or personality-centred followership can weaken institutional accountability and encourage elite domination. The study also identifies declining presidential-election turnout between 2011 and 2023 as an important indicator of changing citizen participation. However, lower turnout should not automatically be interpreted as political apathy because participation also occurs through protests, civil society activity, digital mobilisation and other forms of political engagement. The paper argues that leadership effectiveness in Nigeria should be understood as a relational and co-produced outcome rather than an attribute belonging exclusively to political officeholders. It concludes by proposing a follower-centred framework for democratic accountability based on informed participation, constructive criticism, institutional loyalty, issue-based political engagement and civic responsibility.},
                  keywords = {Followership, leadership effectiveness, political behaviour, democratic governance, Nigeria, Fourth Republic, political participation, accountability},
                  month = {September}
        }