Nigeria’s Elections Far From Free, Fair – Agabi

A former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Godwin Agabi, has said Nigeria’s elections remain largely flawed, warning that the country cannot overcome corruption or achieve stability without credible electoral processes.

Agabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) stated this while delivering the 15th Convocation Lecture of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja yesterday.

He said Nigeria’s failure to conduct free and fair elections continues to undermine public trust and fuels corruption across all levels of society.

“If we are ever going to free ourselves from corruption, if the nation is ever going to be non-violent and secure, we must first have free and fair elections. So far our elections have been far from free or fair.

“If a president, a governor, a legislator or a councillor sees nothing wrong with employing the most inferior methods to acquire office, he or she should not be surprised if other citizens employ unethical methods to achieve their own aims.

“A leader who has acquired power by such means should expect that his bad example will be followed. Until we conduct free and fair elections the people are never going to take government seriously when it condemns corruption,” he said.

Agabi also identified deep-rooted issues within Nigeria’s education system, describing it as a contributor to corruption rather than a solution.

He criticised the over-reliance on Western models of education, which, he said, alienates students from their communities and fosters a sense of superiority.

“Education as presently conceived and offered has aided and facilitated the entrenchment of a complex of superiority in our children. It has made them proud and distant from the community,” he said.

He called for a practical and locally relevant curriculum that emphasises both intellectual and vocational skills, urging universities to prioritise innovation and national development.

“Our universities must teach not just the use of the mind, but also the use of the hands. The studies we offer ought to be of utility to the nation,” he stated.

The former AGF also decried widespread malpractice within tertiary institutions, including irregular admissions, examination fraud, cultism, and unethical relationships between staff and students, warning that these practices have brought the integrity of Nigerian universities into question.

He further stressed the need for leaders to speak out against corruption and to reduce the high stakes associated with political office, which he said oft en fuels desperation and violence.

“When the stakes are too high, powerful groups whose interests are threatened by legitimately elected governments provide support for violent movements that destroy democracy,” he noted.

Agabi further proposed the establishment of a National Integration Commission to address the country’s unity challenges, linking poor integration to insecurity and the appointment of unqualified individuals to public office, calling for the removal of the constitutional immunity granted to presidents and governors.

Earlier, he Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Professor Uduma Oji Uduma, identified corruption as a deep moral and philosophical crisis that is undermining institutions, distorting values, and weakening national development.

According to him, corruption thrives not only through perpetrators but also through societal tolerance, warning that education without integrity is dangerous.

He called on universities, government, and citizens to uphold accountability and ethical standards, emphasising that true national renewal depends on collective moral courage and the commitment of individuals to choose integrity over compromise.