Money and Politics in Nigeria

INTRODUCTION

The most populous country in Africa, Nigeria is a country of 140 million inhabitants, broken into 250 ethnic/linguistic groups. Nigeria is often characterized by poor governance, corruption and social injustice, manifestations apparent in all facets of Nigerian society. This notwithstanding, however, Nigerians always appreciated the importance of good governance. However, long years of military rule slowed development of democratic values and a culture of transparency and accountability in governance. Consequently, corruption pervaded all spheres of public and private life with serious implications for service delivery. Nigeria returned to civil rule in May 1999 after four decades of military rule. The 1999 elections marked the beginning of a transition from military to civil rule. The country held three elections, including the April 2007 elections that brought President Umaru Yar’ Adua to power following the victory of his party,  the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Political transition advanced to another phase with successful conduct of the 2003 elections. In the lead-up to the 2007 elections Nigerians were considerably hopeful the elections would be free and fair. But there were concerns in many circles about the poor state of readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and law enforcement agencies. The outcome of the April polls further betrayed peoples' confidence in the electoral system