Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State, expressed concerns on Thursday about what he called selective accountability in Nigeria, cautioning that the idea that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are rarely charged with corruption needs to be addressed immediately.
El-Rufai reportedly gave a speech at the 23rd Daily Trust Dialogue in Abuja, which had as its theme “Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: What is Working and What is Not?”
He claims that Nigeria suffers from unaccountable governance, pointing out that changes have prioritized procedures above results.
Without accountability, we have governance. Nigeria has developed accountability and change more quickly than in terms of content, he claimed.
“We hold elections, establish agencies, and declare asset recoveries, but accountability by simply governing remains selective,” he continued. Corruption is now invisible to those in positions of power, negotiable for those who are on the fence and wish to switch to the APC, and dangerous for others who are in opposition. Members of the APC are never charged with corruption.
The former governor cautioned that ordinary Nigerians would suffer greatly from unequal enforcement of the law.
“This is not abstract; it appears in unpaid salaries, abandoned projects, decayed infrastructure and widespread cynicism. Deterrence breaks down when laws are applied inconsistently. And when deterrence collapses, trust evaporates; and this is what is happening in Nigeria,” he said.
El-Rufai stressed the need to strengthen institutions, particularly through judicial reforms, to guarantee credible elections and an independent electoral commission.
“Finally, we must restore ethical and competent government for our politics to have meaning. Reform is not only about what must change, but it is also about what must stop,” he added.
Other panellists at the event included the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication, Sunday Dare, and Hon. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the 7th and 8th House of Representatives.
The dialogue was chaired by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, while Rashidi Ladoja was the Special Guest of Honour.
