Bishop Mathew Kukah, the founder of The Kukah Centre (TKC), and former governor Abdullahi Ganduje have blamed dishonest poor Nigerians, INEC, and other institutions for political corruption. Mr. Ganduje maintained that placing the blame on public officials and politicians would address Nigeria’s deficient institutional framework.
This was said during a high-level gathering that TKC organized in Abuja on Tuesday with national executives of political parties and other stakeholders.
Mr. Ganduje, who is embroiled in a corruption investigation in Kano, stated, “Weak institutions are the main issue facing Nigeria because we are simply stuck in a terrible cycle.” We are only blaming the politicians unless we break that cycle and strengthen our institutions. Additionally, political parties are weak, and corruption flourishes as a result.
“Let us not be blaming the politicians, officeholders, those who win elections,” the APC chair continued. Yes, we hold them accountable, but let’s also examine the election’s security system: the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
These organizations staff the polling places. Can you win an election for free, please? The impoverished man is dishonest too. Voters claim they are unable to cast a ballot until they have been paid, if we were to delve into the specifics of what occurs in practice.
Mr. Kukah facilitated a panel discussion in which he advocated for Nigeria to develop better institutions and democracy by taking lessons from its past mistakes and building on them.
“Whether it’s the legal system or bureaucracy, everything is a work in progress. The most crucial thing is for us to learn from the past and then create the framework to make sure that things don’t keep happening again,” he stated.
Thus, the question is, who created institutions? Institutions are meant to serve as a mirror that reflects the dreams, concerns, anxieties, and aspirations of the whole populace. This implies that Nigerians must learn to say no to actions that are against the values of their institutions both as a group and as individuals if they want to see the police and bureaucracy become institutions.
Therefore, I believe that it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that Nigeria’s institutions are stronger.
Therefore, I believe that it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that Nigeria’s institutions are stronger.
Mr. Kukah expressed his gratitude to the European Union for helping to advance democracy in Nigeria, particularly through the creation of the Political Party Management Toolkit (PPMT).
