This article examines Clientelism and Democratic Accountability: How Patronage Politics Survives Electoral Competition: Implications for Regional Integration with a focused emphasis on Nigeria within the field of Political Science. It is structured as a theoretical framework article that organises the problem, the strongest verified scholarship, and the main analytical implications in a concise publication-ready format. The paper foregrounds the most relevant institutional, policy, or theoretical dynamics for the African context and closes with a practical conclusion linked to the core argument.