Nigeria's Democracy Endangered by Governors Choosing Successors to Protect 'Loot'

A concerning trend is emerging in Nigeria where outgoing elected officials are attempting to handpick their successors, a practice widely condemned as an abuse of power that jeopardizes democratic principles. This self-serving maneuver, often disguised as legacy continuation, is primarily driven by a desire to protect illicitly acquired wealth and evade accountability for past corruption.

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Experience has shown that they do this not to continue any legacy of development, which is mostly lacking anyway, but to protect their loot and larceny from being detected.

The approach to the upcoming 2027 general elections is already marked by disruption, not in the constructive way democracy should foster change, but by exacerbating governance failures. As insecurity escalates across the nation, some administrations are cynically linking the crisis to political opponents seeking power. Meanwhile, the core functions of governance often grind to a halt, replaced by incompetence and ineptitude.

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This deadly disease of inept public officers choosing their successors is not new at all.

Instances of governors imposing their preferred candidates are evident in several states. In Nasarawa, the incumbent's endorsement of Aliyu Wadada has fractured the ruling party and plunged the state into political turmoil. Similarly, governors in Gombe and Kwara, after eight years of perceived inaction, are attempting to dictate continuity by choosing their successors. This practice, described as odious and egregious, diverts state resources and attention from pressing issues.

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When a public officer abandons his primary responsibility and instead channels the resources of the state into substituting himself with his protégé, democracy is endangered.

The underlying motive for installing loyal protégés is often to shield corrupt practices. A stark example is Kogi State, where the former governor allegedly used his crony, who subsequently became governor, to evade billions of Naira in economic and financial crime charges. The article asserts that Nigeria cannot sustain this "execrable path," emphasizing that true leadership in a democracy involves the leverage of the people's will, not the imposition of handpicked successors who are beholden to their patrons.

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A situation where do-nothing governors override the people’s will to impose their successors is simply not acceptable.