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Abstract
Since independence, the absence of the sort of leadership that is worthy of emulation has been in short supply. The military era and its uninspiring, autocratic and corrupt tendencies have spiraled into democratic administrations which in turn has been pervasive in contemporary Nigerian society. This study posits that the consequentialist Machiavellian philosophy is responsible for the socio-political ills bedeviling Nigeria. The adoption of Machiavellianism as a way of life by politicians, leaders and the average Nigerian has very much impeded the growth of the country both politically and socially as individual interests are placed above the common good and the result is the conscious abandonment of morality in pursuit of those interests. In identifying key aspects in which Machiavellianism is predominant in Nigerian society, this work employs a qualitative research method coupled with historical and critical analysis. This work argues that if an urgent panacea is not offered, then the Nigerian society will be heading for cataclysmic implosion and therefore condemns Machiavellianism as a way of life. Consequently, this study recommends that morality must be returned to the heart of our society; the education of the citizens regarding their rights, civic duties, duties of public office holders and the function of government must be made a priority; Machiavellian politicians must be banished from power by revamping the criteria for leadership and the system; and that citizens must live philosophically.
