A legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, Justice Osai Ahiakwo, has warned that Nigeria’s political system, when driven by deception rather than conscience, ultimately impoverishes citizens and undermines national development.
In a statement, Ahiakwo argued that as Nigeria approaches another election cycle, the country must confront an uncomfortable truth, saying the character of its politics often mirrors the nature of dominant political parties.
Parties not founded on conscience, he said, inevitably produce leaders lacking honour and genuine public spirit.
Platforms built on expediency rather than principle gradually promote politicians motivated more by personal ambition than public service.
Loyalty becomes transactional, political engagement is reduced to pursuing advantage, and over time, pretense, manipulation, and hostility toward opponents become tolerated within the system.
He observed that policy debates are often replaced with intrigues and calculated maneuvering for power.
Politics, in such circumstances, becomes a contest driven by victory rather than principle, while governance and integrity are treated as afterthoughts.
The consequences are predictable: public institutions are reduced to instruments of patronage, and positions of responsibility are viewed as rewards instead of obligations to serve citizens.
Aggression, intimidation, and coercion have become accepted methods for silencing critics and consolidating influence.
Ahiakwo stressed that accountability weakens in such an environment, shielding those responsible for both action and inaction. Yet, he reminded political actors that power is never permanent; influence that seems formidable can gradually weaken under the weight of its own contradictions.
He called for a redefinition of the political space, urging that destructive tendencies and irresponsible conduct be pushed to the margins.
According to him, a political culture that fears criticism will inevitably resist accountability, making ethical leadership impossible.
“A political system that rewards deception and aggression ultimately impoverishes the nation it governs,” Ahiakwo concluded.
Restoring conscience to the centre of political organisation, he said, is essential for producing leaders who serve citizens with honour and restraint, or else Nigeria risks repeating the cycle of power gained easily, abused freely, and lost in regret.
