The Department was established in the University in 1983. At inception, there were forty-five (45) pioneer students while the staff list of the Department consisted of Dr. O. Isijola, Mr. Obasekonla, Dr. A. Adebo, Dr. A.E. Agbogu and Mr. (later Prof.) Dipo Kolawole who later became the fifth substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University. The current HOD is Dr. Ola Abegunde.

Philosophy of the Department

The philosophy of the Department derived from the general philosophy of the University which is to achieve high quality education. The specific philosophy of the Department, which underscores its mission and vision, is to contribute its quota to the positioning of the University as a centre of excellence and a world-class University with the training and production of graduates that are well-equipped with knowledge and skills that would enable them to be useful in all sectors of the Nigerian economy and beyond and as well beneficial to themselves in terms of ability and capacity to create entrepreneurship, self-employed and employment generating opportunities. In addition, the Department will inculcate into its students the intellectual capacity to engage in cutting edge researches for the advancement of human development. To achieve these aims, the Department provides high standard educational programmes through high-quality teaching, seminars, tests, examinations and research projects that cut across the spectrum of the Social Sciences towards moulding graduates into articulate, useful and skilled professionals.

Objectives

Arising from the above fundamental philosophy, and in consonance with our philosophy and mission, the basic objectives or goals of the Department are to:

1. produce articulate and well-focused graduates in the various spheres of Political Science;
2. equip students with in-depth knowledge and skills in both Political Science and the Social Sciences for understanding, analyzing and problem solving involving social and political issues at organisational, local, state, national and international levels;
3. train students who will take up careers in the field of international relations and diplomacy, international law, international organizations, public analysis and service, security and intelligence services, local government administration, among others;
4. produce graduates who will be innovative, creative and be able to administer their own private activities and businesses as entrepreneurs at graduation;
5. expose students to the mainstream of political thoughts, interpretations, concepts, analysis and methodology in the discipline;
6. produce graduates who are instilled with competence and skills to make their contribution to sustainable development of Nigeria, Africa and the world communities as a whole.

The vision and mission of the Department, therefore, are cumulatively to facilitate the training and development of students admitted into the Department so that they can acquire the right type of values and attitude as well as skills that will make them to be useful to themselves and their societies at large after graduation.

The Mission Statement

The mission statements of the Department are to:

1. equip our graduates with sound and relevant knowledge of political science that will prepare them to appraise and cope with the challenges in a developing nation like Nigeria and to contribute effectively to its overall development;
2. instill in our graduates the ability to apply basic knowledge of politics and public policy studies in intellectually stimulating and satisfying experience of learning that could lead to the acquiring of the skills and principles in the various spheres of the Social Sciences and their applications in solving state and national problems;
3. provide opportunity for students to become familiar with the different areas of specialisation in the Social Sciences;
4. develop in our graduates useful competences in public, private, global or self-employment, and
5. equip our graduates with the skills required for further studies in any desired area of specialisation.