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The 2011 race to be Nigeria’s president for the
next four years is more interesting than any in recent years. Despite
shortcomings in the electoral process, preparations for these elections
promise a process that will be a significant improvement on the 2007
elections. Credit for this improvement goes to Goodluck Jonathan for
replacing Maurice Iwu with Attahiru Jega and giving him the latitude to
improve the electoral process. However, Mr. Jega will not make all the
improvements he may have wished to implement in the brief period he has
had at the helm of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Nigeria’s next president must give Mr. Jega the mandate and resources
to continue the process and thereby herald the 2015 elections as truly
a hallmark of a democratic nation.

The 2011 election is critical to Nigeria’s future.
The next four years will either consolidate the advances Nigeria has
made on the journey to democracy or allow cronyism and corruption to
flourish. Advances have been made over the last 12 years but there have
been some retrograde steps, particularly in the latter part of the late
Yar’Adua’s term of office when, without decisive leadership Nigeria
drifted and the war against corruption was suspended.

The reputation of the EFCC has withered under
Farida Waziri to the extent that foreign anti-corruption agencies will
no longer engage with her. If Nigeria’s president is serious about
fighting corruption and rebuilding Nigeria’s platform to fight
corruption, then say goodbye to Mrs. Waziri and hit her political
godfathers where it hurts… in the courts.

Corruption in Nigeria’s police force and judiciary
has allowed people who have committed shocking crimes to not only go
unpunished but to stand for election. Indeed, some of the candidates
running for governorship in the current elections should be spending
their time and money preparing for their court appearances rather than
their election campaign speeches.

There are many accusations about supposed criminal
acts committed by various candidates and there is much speculation. In
October 2010, Mrs. Waziri famously released her “Advisory List” of over
100 people with high profile cases of corruption being pursued by the
EFCC. In doing so, Waziri advised political parties against standing
candidates whose names appeared on her list. In so doing, Waziri acted
as prosecutor, judge and jury. Apart from this blatant misuse of her
position, Waziri failed to include the really big fish and managed to
include some persons whose cases had already been dismissed by the
courts and thus were innocent (having been proven not guilty).

But the failure of the EFCC under Waziri is only
part of the story when it comes to candidates for election. In
Nigeria’s current gubernatorial elections, there are candidates who
clearly should have been vigorously investigated for their parts in
very serious criminal acts. It is not a situation where there were
allegations and subsequent investigations found no basis for laying
charges. No, it is simply a case of these persons being untouchable.
Are they too well connected; have they paid huge bribes… why have
they been able to escape the attention of the law?

This column has previously touched on this
subject. In October 2009, I described the emergence of MEND and
detailed how cult groups and gangs were armed and paid by candidates
for political office in an effort to secure their election. In the
discussions that led to the 2004 Peace Accord, the commanders made
clear the support of their godfathers. They named a former federal
minister of transportation, since vacated from the PDP and a native of
Rivers State, as being directly linked to the assassination of Marshall
Harry. I heard the evidence firsthand. Today, this man stands for
election. In my book, he should be standing trial. But maybe I have
just played the Waziri card and made myself prosecutor, judge and jury.
There is however one difference…I do not have any political
godfathers.

I am sure that some of the sycophants of the big men who are enraged
by such frank and public comments will undoubtedly respond to this
column with online comments denigrating me. That comes with the
territory and the privilege of writing an opinion column. We can only
hope and pray that the efforts of INEC under the current chairman have
so eroded the opportunity for electoral malpractice that the true
intentions of the Nigerian people will be accurately reflected in the
outcome of the current elections. 2011 could be a point of
consolidation and confirmation to stand against electoral malpractice,
against corruption and against violence. It will be the task of
Nigeria’s president, every member of the National Assembly and every
governor to endorse that position. It will be the task of every
Nigerian to ask their newly elected representatives what progress they
have made on these key issues in the first 100 days of office. I hope
that Nigerians can one day look back and remember 2011 as a turning
point in the building of a nation.