ETCETERA says Corruption will win today's elections...

Call me whatever you want after seeing my headline, but I very well know that within you, there is an awareness that the corrupt candidate will win in today’s election, not the candidate who lives by said morals. I have eight reasons for saying so.

1. Because every voter in Nigeria has his/her own hypothetical belief that most politicians are corrupt and there is very little an idealist politician can do to reform the system. So what difference would it make anyway, even if an idealist manages to win?

2. Because the administrative system in Nigeria is outdated when it comes to having a decentralised system for any public information and this allows corrupt politicians to play their game with much ease. It means, rigging is sure to happen today.




3. The corrupt politician knows how to get votes from the poor – by gratitude. He gives you what is yours by right, and collects your votes in return. Like the insignificant reduction in petroleum pump price.

4.The corrupt politicians fit well to complete the vicious circle of our democracy. Didn’t you all notice that in the campaign for today’s election, top business and media conglomerates in the country made gargantuan financial contributions to the campaign of one of the candidates, and in return, they are assured of his assistance to win their corporate game?

5. Politics in Nigeria works significantly on the idea of personal interest first before anything else, while unregulated power and immunity clauses have made corruption an addiction for the politicians.

6.As a country, Nigeria is suffering from the lack of good/sincere men, which fundamentally increases the probability of corrupt men hanging onto power.

7.Given the current economic stats and a stagnant GDP growth rate, Nigeria does not have enough resources to fulfill the demands of a future society which makes it rather hard for the corruption to go anytime sooner. It is a significant problem and the problem is only going to get worse, and the social differences highlighted in the runoff of today’s election won’t help matters.

8.Corruption in Nigeria works like an organised crime – where profits are justly divided among the partakers and members of our dead police force do not only fail to fight it but rather take part in it and their excuse have always been their low salaries.

Mark my words here, whoever wins today’s election, corruption remains the same. Our national food is bribe and we really enjoy eating it.