Jinadu:  Abuse of Incumbency Power, Highest Form of Corruption

•Many Nigerians see graft as anathema, ready to fight it, UNODC says

Ndubuisi Francis and Michael Olugbode in Abuja

A former National Electoral Commissioner and Senior Fellow, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Prof. Liasu Adele Jinadu, has declared that the abuse of incumbency power remained the highest form of corruption in the country,  urging Nigerians to fearlessly demand accountability, responsive and responsible governance from their leaders.

Jinadu, a former Director General of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), also charged the anti-graft agencies not to wait until 2027, but to immediately beam their searchlight on tendencies that corrupt and compromise the electoral process.

In a keynote address delivered in Abuja at a high-level policy conversation on “The State of Anticorruption Policy and Practice in Nigeria,” organised by Agora in partnership with MacArthur Foundation, Jinadu lamented what he described as the toxic element introduced by the political class into the governance system.

He noted that without character, integrity and morality, the political journey was an exercise in futility, declaring that the current political class has continued to abuse the system for their selfish interest.

Jinadu, who regretted that Nigerians have been too lenient with the political class who get away with all manner of rape on the political system, challenged the people to wear the toga of eternal vigilance and courage while demanding for acvountability.

He particularly cited the penchant for politicians to abuse the incumbency factor, and manipulating the electoral system without batting an eyelid, describing it as the worst form of corruption.

In a related development, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has said Nigeria was on the right track to seeing an end to a culture of correction as many of its citizens see corruption as anathema and willing to wage war to stop the virus.

At the Commemoration of 2024 International Anti-corruption day on Monday, with the theme: Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity, the UNODC Country Representative, Mr. Cheikh Toure, said as much.

He said, “Our recent national corruption survey reveals encouraging signs of progress. An impressive 70% of Nigerians, including our youth, have refused to pay a bribe on at least one occasion. This statistic is not just a number; it represents a growing culture of integrity and resistance against corruption.

“Moreover, 42% of respondents refused to pay bribes simply because it was ‘the right thing to do’. This moral stance is the foundation upon which we must build our anti-corruption efforts.

“We’ve also seen a significant increase in the willingness to report bribery incidents, more than doubling from 3.6% in 2019 to 8.6% in 2023. This surge in civic responsibility is partly due to the increased accessibility of complaint channels, including social networks, websites, and apps.

“Our collective efforts are yielding tangible results. The rate of negative consequences for refusing to pay bribes has decreased from 49% in 2019to 38% in 2023. Furthermore, we’ve witnessed a nearly threefold increase in the initiation of formal procedures against corrupt public officials, rising from 16% to 45% between 2019 and 2023.

“These figures demonstrate that our institutions are taking complaints more seriously and are more willing to act on them,” he said.

On his part, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande said, “I am here today not just to talk about the problems but to assure our young people that we are listening, and we are acting. Our goal is simple: to create a system that protects, supports, and empowers every young Nigerian.

“The challenges are clear. Across the country, too many young people find themselves victims of a justice system that often fails them.”

He lamented that, “A large number of our prisoners are under the age of 35, and many are held without trial for years. This troubling reality highlights a dual crisis: young people facing systemic delays in accessing justice and the growing involvement of youth in criminal activities.

“Economic hardship, lack of opportunities, and weak institutional structures often push our young people toward crime, further fueling the cycle of mistrust in the system.”