Ganduje bribery allegation: A comparative approach

…also published in Daily Trust  

As the scandal triggered by the leaked bribery video clips involving Kano state governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje continues to rock the state’s political atmosphere and generate controversy across the country, a comparative look at the situation explains why while a similar or even less serious scandal elsewhere has always had profound political consequences, the Ganduje bribery scandal, albeit extremely serious, would most probably fizzle out amid pervasive culture of impunity in the land, as it has always been the fate of similar and even more serious scandals in the country.

Elections in the dilemma of options

…also published in Daily Trust

As the political atmosphere in Nigeria gets increasingly charged with politicians already slugging it out for nomination by their respective parties to run for various elective offices in the forthcoming elections, the question whether or not the calibre of politicians jostling for these offices is the best the country can boast of remains relevant as ever.

Like any typical developing democracy where a tiny elite minority prospers at the expense of the overwhelming majority, almost all Nigerian politicians are actually self-acclaimed populists whose largely empty political rhetoric appeals to the electorate in their respective constituencies. However, their individual abilities to feign populism differ according to their respective cunning capabilities and the amounts of their lust for power. While some of them feign it quite perfectly, some others hardly disguise their elitist tendency.

UNGA Summit’s empty prestige

…also published in Daily Trust

The 73^rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) summit is already underway at the organization’s headquarters in New York.

As the most important UN event in terms of the calibre of attendees i.e. the presidents, prime-ministers, kings, heads of government of member states and their respective entourages of ministers, advisers and other top government officials, the UNGA summit is obviously supposed to be the most influential UN event as well.

As an organization that supposedly believes in and, among other things, promotes democracy among nations, the UN is of course supposed to represent a perfect example of commitment to democratic principles in all its institutions and councils where all member states should enjoy equal rights of participation in its policy and resolution-formulation processes, regardless of their respective levels of economic development and military strength. 

At the mercy of bastardized democracy

..also published in Daily Trust

The classical theorists of the concept of democracy hardly, if at all, observed that, as a political system, democracy per se doesn’t necessarily bring about peace, economic prosperity, socio-political stability and respect for human rights, after all.

Unsurprisingly, the proponents of democracy hardly observe this fact either, having imbibed its theories hook, line, and sinker without questioning its purported unconditional and universal applicability. Of course, the beneficiaries of the system, e.g. elective office holders and political appointees would never bother to give any thought to this observation, for obvious reasons.

Corridors of power: The graveyard of conscience

…also published in Daily Trust 

Though conscience is inherent in man, ability to behave accordingly obviously differs from one man to another.  Also, though everyone can pretend to be a person of conscience, only time and circumstances will tell a real man of conscience from a charlatan. Besides, the fact that no one today can rightly claim the ability to maintain a perfect commitment to his conscience all the time, explains individuals’ points of strength and weakness in this regard.

With its complicated socio-economic and political challenges, Nigeria’s public sphere has always featured many supposedly principled public affairs analysts and critics analyzing the causes of its various challenges, proffering solutions and advocating good governance and accountability.