Corruption Should Be a Deal Breaker But Not in Nigeria, By Kay Lord

The people I struggle to understand the most are not even the corrupt politicians, but the some Nigerians who defend them at all costs. They take whatever is thrown at them and run with it.

What is more worrying is that even some of the most educated among us think and react in exactly the same way as those who have little education and no exposure. At some point, you begin to realise that this is not a problem of education. It is something deeper.

I find myself reflecting on this often. I have seen many write ups or been in rooms where people who can analyse complex issues in their professions suddenly become completely uncritical when it comes to their preferred politician.

You hear them justify things they would never tolerate in their own personal lives. It makes you wonder if we have unknowingly trained ourselves to separate our sense of right and wrong from politics.

For me, the line is very clear. I have said it before and I will keep saying it. No matter how much I like or support a politician, the moment there is an allegation of embezzlement, mismanagement of public funds, or high-level corruption, and that person is being asked to explain themselves before investigators or in court, I step back.

My support is suspended until they clear their name. Not because I hate them, but because I respect the system and, more importantly, I respect myself and would not condone any act of corruption.

I remember when Bola Tinubu was taken before the Code of Conduct Tribunal. A lot of people immediately framed it as political persecution by the Jonathan administration because he was a leading opposition figure.

My response then was simple. I do not care who is in power or who is in opposition. If you have held public office, you must be accountable. If it is persecution and your hands are clean, the truth will eventually come out. But asking that you should not even be questioned is where I draw the line. I said at that time, let Tinubu have his day in court.

What I find most contradictory is how we all agree on one thing: corruption is Nigeria’s biggest problem. Say it anywhere and everyone nods and agrees with you. Yet the moment someone we like is accused, everything changes.

Suddenly it is no longer about corruption. It becomes about loyalty, about tribe, about party, about victimhood. Even when the signs are obvious, people still find a way to defend all kind of nonsense.

I have seen people complain bitterly about the state of the country, the poor infrastructure, the lack of opportunities, and then in the next breath defend those accused of diverting public funds. It feels like watching someone complain about hunger while protecting the person who keeps taking food off the table.

Take the revelations around the investigation of former Attorney General Malami. The scale of what has been alleged is not small. Properties were placed on interim forfeiture, and he was granted bail while awaiting trial. These are serious matters.

Yet, instead of a moment of reflection, what we saw was a parade of solidarity visits. Politicians from the opposition going to his house, presenting him almost as a victim. Peter Obi, who many people of his so called Obidient movement hold up as a moral reference point, was among the first to visit. Then Atiku followed and issued statements about the persecution of opposition figures.

At that point, you have to ask yourself: when did accountability become optional? When did we decide that corruption allegations should be filtered through political convenience?

What is even more troubling is that many Nigerians genuinely believe this narrative. They are convinced that these cases are nothing but political witch-hunts. And maybe, sometimes, politics does play a role. But does that mean we should ignore the substance of the allegations? Should we not, at the very least, demand answers?

I often imagine what things would look like if we collectively changed our mindset. Imagine a Nigeria where the moment a politician is charged, people simply say, “Go and clear your name first.” No noise, no defence, no emotional attachment. Just a quiet insistence on accountability. It would change everything.

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In other places, the mere fact that you are facing corruption charges is enough for people to distance themselves from you. Allies step back. Supporters go silent. Not out of hatred, but out of principle. Here, it is the opposite. That is when the visits increase, the statements become louder, and the person suddenly becomes a symbol of resistance.

And the saddest part is how citizens turn on each other in the process. Friends argue, families fight, strangers insult one another, all in defence of people who, in many cases, would not even recognise them.

When you really think about it, it is not just frustrating. It is heartbreaking.

Because at the end of the day, corruption should be the one thing that unites us against any politician, regardless of party or affiliation. It should be the deal breaker. But somehow, we have made it negotiable.

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That is the part that troubles me the most