Nigeria’s renascent democracy has been threatened by blatant corruption and sundry abuses, but these absurdities have assumed melodramatic proportions ahead of the 2015 general elections. The corruption and cronyism in Nigerian politics got the most devastating advertisement after the main political parties decided to charge exorbitant nomination fees from candidates, in a brazen effort to discourage popular participation in the electoral process, and consolidate power among the wealthy elite. In principle, the idea of paying to run for public office is not only undemocratic, crude and an embarrassment to all Nigerians, it is even illegal. By virtue of the 2010 Electoral Act as amended, it is an electoral offence for parties to charge unwholesome fees, and the fact that the electoral umpire, INEC claims it is powerless to act in the face of this surreptitious illegality, underscores the inconsistency and policy somersaults that are the hallmarks of governance in Nigeria. This assault on the sensibilities of weary Nigerians, who already bear the heavy burden of poor leadership and bad governance, should not stand and all associated with it ought to face the wrath of the law.
Predictably, “supporters” of President Jonathan easily came up with the N22 million ($132,000) to buy his nomination form from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) is asking for N27.5 million, forcing its prospective flag bearer, former military ruler, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to take out a bank loan. For gubernatorial candidates, the PDP is charging N11 million while the APC wants N10 million – just to contest the party primaries, which the candidate is not even certain to win. Candidates for parliamentary elections also have to pay huge sums of cash. While the conduct of the two main political parties is disturbing, INEC, which has a responsibility to regulate all electoral activities, including political campaign financing has been pathetic and heart-breaking by throwing up its hands in helplessness over this open breach of its rules.
INEC spokesman Kayode Idowu, expressed concern about the trend, but said the electoral body cannot stop parties from collecting election fees; but will ensure the parties respect the set limits on campaign spending. A presidential candidate cannot spend above N1 billion; a governorship hopeful N200 million; a candidate for Senate N40 million and N10 million for the House of Representatives. Parties are also not allowed to seek external funding to safeguard “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation”, Idowu said, adding: “All these measures are in place to ensure popular participation as well as preserve the integrity of the electoral system.” Ordinarily, Idowu’s head should be examined; what “popular participation and integrity” is he talking about? With its deafening silence on this matter, INEC is, directly or indirectly, undermining whatever social capital and public trust it may have acquired in recent times. Moreover, it sends the wrong signal to the local and international community that it may not be capable of securing and guaranteeing a level playing field for all players in the 2015 elections.
It is saddening that the media and civil society organizations have become passive and disinterested, to challenge this celebration of graft, given their silence on this crucial matter. More important, the phenomenon calls to question the integrity of those who lead Nigeria today. For one, the explanation by APC chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, that the party made the nomination fee costly to “separate the men from the boys” reeks of self-righteous indignation and reflects the disconnect money and politics fosters on the majority of Nigerians; who are left with no voice because they are poor. Nigeria may be Africa’s biggest economy and leading oil producer but over 60% of Nigerians live on $1 a day or less, according to the last available government figures on living standards, published in 2012.
Political corruption is one of the absurdities which make a mockery of Nigerian democracy. And while we are separating “the men from the boys” the APC should be reminded that Obasanjo left prison with N20,000 in his bank account to become president. Buhari should have saved himself and the APC, the public embarrassment of coming across as a pauper, who sees the Nigerian presidency in 2015 as a pension and gratuity for services he rendered to the nation in the past. The deepening ambiguity surrounding his bank loan as well as the incredulity of Nigerians on the claims of his incorruptibility, are such that do the man himself no credit. If someone of Buhari’s standing cannot afford N27.5 million without taking a bank loan, who else can afford it? How Buhari intends to repay his loan if he loses the election and, for that matter, the collateral with which he backed his loan, remain issues of contention.
While the nexus of money and politics is not unique to Nigeria, it is obvious that if a candidate eventually gets the nomination and wins the election, his loyalty will be to the money-bags and godfathers who bankrolled his election, who will then expect a return on their “investment.” The only solution to this crisis is for the government to fund political parties. Under the military dictator Ibrahim Babangida (1985-1993), two political parties were created and funded by government, the National Republican Convention and Social Democratic Party. But since the return to civilian rule in 1999, the government stopped direct funding of political parties, opening the doors to abusive patronage and quid pro quo horse trading. Support for the status quo is disingenuous and those who submit to such egregious clientelism are not fit to be in any public office.
The high nomination fees charged by political parties are simply bizarre, desultory and even comical, but the brazenness, arrogance and shamelessness of the process make it offensive to the sensibilities of Nigerians. It puts into question what the intention of the political elite really is. Is it to exploit the system and rake in billions or they really want to attract the best and the brightest into public service? Whilst politicians dish out grandiloquent rhetoric against corruption, the process of leadership recruitment is an edifice built on corruption. This escalating sequence of entropic political leadership has turned power and money into instruments of statecraft. The result is that the country, though a giant, seems tethered to a wheelchair whose wheels are made of the clay of impunity and corruption.
Politicians, whether in the opposition or the ruling party, seem all ganged up against the people, constantly pursuing only their self-interests. Nigerians are generally unhappy, but cannot express their displeasure, because they have been pauperized to a state of helplessness. The audacious impunity by Nigerian politicians comes down to the leadership question. Nigerian leaders are not setting good examples, so everything else falls in line with the rot, abuse and corruption which characterize the government. If Nigeria’s claim to democracy will ever stand the test of time, the country must begin to play politics by the rules. In this particular case, the law is very clear, which is that no party has a right to charge the high nomination fees. INEC should rise to the occasion by making a public pronouncement on the matter and any party which violates the law should be disqualified from contesting the election. Nigerians deserve leaders elected on merit, not on their ability to buy party nomination tickets, and public office should not be a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder. This only hurts our democracy.
