Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi, SAN, has said Nigeria cannot effectively tackle corruption, insecurity, and political instability without first ensuring free and fair elections.
Agabi made the statement on Friday while delivering the 15th convocation lecture of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja, where he argued that flawed electoral processes continue to undermine governance and public trust.
He said leaders who emerge through manipulated elections often normalise unethical behaviour in public life, weakening efforts to build a lawful and accountable 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,” he said.
According to him, political office holders who rely on manipulation to gain power should not be surprised when similar conduct spreads across other sectors of society.
“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,” he added.
Agabi warned that without credible elections, government efforts to fight corruption would continue to lack legitimacy and public confidence.
He also criticised Nigeria’s education system, describing it as a contributor to social imbalance and corruption rather than a solution to national challenges. He said the system promotes elitism and weakens ties between young people and their communities.
“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.
