Speaking at the 23rd Daily Trust Dialogue in Abuja on Thursday, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai criticised what he described as selective enforcement of anti-corruption laws in Nigeria, warning that the trend is weakening public trust in governance.
At the event, themed “Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: What is Working and What is Not?”, El-Rufai argued that accountability in the country is often shaped by political alignment rather than the rule of law. He said successive reforms have focused more on processes such as elections, agencies and asset recoveries, while failing to deliver real accountability.
According to El-Rufai, corruption allegations are pursued aggressively against opposition figures but treated differently when those involved are linked to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). “Corruption is considered dangerous for opposition members, negotiable for those hoping to join the APC, and virtually invisible for those aligned with power,” he said.
He warned that the uneven application of laws has direct consequences for citizens, citing unpaid wages, abandoned public projects, deteriorating infrastructure and widespread disillusionment with government. El-Rufai added that when deterrence collapses, public confidence in institutions inevitably declines.
The former governor called for stronger institutions, particularly judicial reforms, to ensure credible elections and safeguard the independence of the electoral commission, stressing that democracy cannot thrive without impartial enforcement of the law.
As concerns over fairness and transparency persist, can Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework regain credibility without reforms that cut across party lines?
#NigeriaPolitics #RuleOfLaw #AntiCorruption
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