Former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday, raised concerns over what he described as selective accountability in Nigeria, warning that the perception that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are rarely accused of corruption must be urgently addressed.
Naijaonpoint reports that El-Rufai spoke at the 23rd Daily Trust Dialogue held in Abuja, with the theme, “Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: What is Working and What is Not?”
According to him, Nigeria suffers from governance without accountability, noting that reforms have focused more on processes than outcomes.
“We have governance without accountability. Nigeria has built reform and accountability faster than in the substance,” he said.
He added, “We conduct elections and create agencies and announce assets recoveries, but accountability by just governing remains selective. Corruption has become dangerous for some that are in opposition and negotiable for others that are sitting on the fence and want to move to the APC; and invisible for those aligned with the power. APC members are never accused of corruption.”
The former governor warned that uneven enforcement of laws has far-reaching consequences for ordinary Nigerians.
“This is not abstract; it appears in unpaid salaries, abandoned projects, decayed infrastructure and widespread cynicism. When laws are enforced unevenly, deterrence collapses. 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.