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El-Rufai Is Right! Nigerians Think All Governors Are Thieves
By Joel Popoola
“Governors are the most suspected elected officials. Everyone thinks governors are just thieves… wasting state resources (and) not doing anything.”
The sort of opinion you hear all the time in the queue, and inside danfo – but not something you hear very often from governors themselves. But this week Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, publically addressed his and his colleagues’ “very negative image”.
He was right. Nigerians do think all governors are thieves. The statistics prove it.
Research shows 72% of us believe “most politicians are corrupt”.. 57% of Nigerians believe that nothing will ever change, no matter who wins an election.
And other countries agree – that’s why the international Corruption Perception Index ranks us amongst the most corrupt countries on earth. And 80% of Nigerians think that placing is deserved!
Regardless of your politics, no governor has done more to tackle the systemic and structural shortcomings of our democracy than Mr El-Rufai himself.
It was El-Rufai who trialled electronic voting in Kaduna in 2018, deservedly winning praise for his efforts to promote transparency and increase electoral integrity. Voters even reported enjoying going to the polls – which will hopefully encourage them to do so again in the future.
Even more strikingly, four Kaduna elections were won by the opposition rather than the incumbents – a statistical rare occurrence in Nigerian elections. People knew their vote would have an impact. So they voted.
After a recent governorship election in Edo where only one in four voters went to the polls, it is clear our nation needs to incentivise and encourage voters to vote more than ever before.
Its measures like electronic voting – which make vote-rigging and ballot-stuffing significantly harder – are so desperately needed across Nigeria if we are to fix our current democratic deficit.
A coalition of over 70 human rights organisations recently united to raise the alarm about increasing vote buying in Nigerian elections, with convener, Clement Nwankwo, quoted as saying:
“Politicians are increasingly investing money to buy votes with voters appearing to be willing to sell their votes.
“In the Edo State election, this practice was widespread with all of the major political parties engaging in this infringement”.
With only 25% of Edo voters going to the polls, it feels like the only people voting are the people who are being paid to. This is a bleak assessment of Nigerian democracy.
These allegations follow an election which has thankfully been described as “relatively peaceful” and “relatively credible” by the Centre for Democracy and Development.
But we Nigerians should expect more than “relatively credible” and “relatively peaceful” elections. I ask you, would you buy a car which is “relatively safe”? Would you purchase a pet which is “relatively harmless”?
Our democracy faces significant challenges. The first step to tackling them is better communication between electors and elected.
Mr El-Rufai has described the role of a governor as “one of the most difficult jobs in the world”. As both a Nigerian tech entrepreneur and as a digital democracy campaigner, I have seen firsthand how true this is. Local politicians are, for the most part, motivated only by public service and a profound love of their communities. They step up to take the hardest decisions for us, even when they do not like those decisions any more than we do.
But they need to explain themselves better. That’s why the digital democracy campaign I lead created Rate Your Leader, a free app which puts local officials in direct person-to-person contact with the people they serve. It also allows voters to contact them, helping them gain better insight into the needs and wishes of the people who elect them.
If politicians using the app are responsive and authoritative, and explain the decisions they are taking clearly and satisfactorily, their voters can give them a positive rating. If people see that neighbours who have interacted with their local politicians have all rated them highly, that builds trust in our leaders. And that in turn builds trust in our system.
Communication between the authorities and the public has never been more critical. As more and more Nigerian parents see their children returning to school after the disruption of Covid-19 they need to be able to trust institutions as much as they need to be able trust leaders. They also need to be able to receive vital public health messages instantaneously.
But with more Nigerians owning a smartphone than voting, the answer is literally in their hands.
Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur, digital democracy campaigner and creator of the free Rate Your Leader app. You can follow Joel on Twitter @JOPopoola
The campaign team of Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has announced that their leader, who is Governorship aspirant, has formally purchased the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms of the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections in Lagos State.
The development was disclosed in a press statement issued on Wednesday by Gbenga Ogunleye, spokesperson for the Jandor campaign organisation, marking a significant step in Adediran’s bid to contest for the state’s top office.
According to the statement, the move underscores Adediran’s commitment to due process and strict adherence to the party’s internal democratic procedures.
The governorship aspirant also reiterated his alignment with the party’s decision to adopt direct primaries for all elective positions, expressing optimism that the process would enhance grassroots participation, strengthen unity within the party, and promote inclusiveness in the emergence of candidates.
Jandor further reaffirmed his loyalty to the National Leader of the APC and President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while also paying tribute to party leaders in Lagos State for their continued guidance and commitment to progressive ideals.
He also extended gratitude to members of the JAGABAN–JANDOR 2027 Movement, young Lagosians, and supporters who contributed financially towards the purchase of the nomination forms, commending their dedication and belief in his leadership capacity.
Jandor assured party members and residents of Lagos State that his governorship ambition is rooted in unity, inclusiveness, and a commitment to sustaining and advancing good governance under the APC platform.
All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Samuel Ajose, has declared that the endorsement of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the next governor by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) will not stand.
GAC, regarded as the highest decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, endorsed Hamzat, as its consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
The decision was reached during a closed-door meeting held at Lagos House, Marina, indicating an early alignment within the ruling party ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Speaking after the session, GAC leader, Tajudeen Olusi, said members unanimously agreed on Hamzat, expressing confidence in his ability to sustain and build on the state’s developmental progress.
Olusi explained that the meeting was convened to deliberate on the party’s forthcoming primaries and assess the governorship position ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking about the GAC adoption of Hamzat as Lagos APC consensus 2027 governorship candidate on Arise News on Tuesday, Ajose said that Sanwo-Olu and others are trying to force President Tinubu into making a decision.
“I don’t think our president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is giving in to what they are doing.
“What they are just trying to do is to coerce him into taking a decision, and I don’t think that decision will stand.”
The House of Representatives has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to borrow Five Hundred and Sixteen Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-three Thousand, seven ($516,333,007) US dollars in syndicated financing from Deutsche Bank AG.
The House approved it during the plenary on Tuesday in Abuja after the presentation of a report by the deputy chairman of the House Committee on Aids, Loans, and Debts Management, Abdullahi Rasheed.
The money is expected to fund the construction of sections of the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway.
President Tinubu wrote to the lawmakers, seeking a $516.3 million loan from Deutsche Bank to support the construction of the road.
The president said the loan, to be sourced from a syndicated financing facility by Deutsche Bank, will fund sections 1, 1A, and 1B of the project, which covers about 120 kilometres.
Tinubu requested a resolution in line with Sections 16 and 21 of the Debt Management Office (Establishment) Act, 2011, to enable the federal government to secure the financing for Sections 1, Phase 1A, and Phase 1B of the project.
The project is a flagship initiative of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and is targeted at enhancing national connectivity, improving the movement of goods across key economic corridors, and drastically shrinking travel time.
The 1,000-kilometre project will link Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states, connecting Illela to Badagry.
According to him, the financing arrangement will be backed by a partial risk guarantee from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC).
He said the Federal government will provide counterpart funding of over N265 billion for land acquisition, compensation, and related infrastructure.
The former Lagos governor said the loan is structured for nine years and includes a three-year grace period.
It has an interest rate pegged at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange SOFR plus 5.3 per cent per annum.
Already, the Federal Executive Council has approved the financing plan.
