Criminal Politics: Violence, “Godfathers” and Corruption in Nigeria

after the rigged elections made no mention of the violence, corruption and
disenfranchisement that characterized the new government's path to power. The
ECOWAS observer team described Nigeria’s violent and fraudulent state elections as
“relatively fair and peaceful.” 383 After the Presidential elections, President Mbeki of
South Africa was the first foreign head of state to publicly congratulate Yar'Adua on
his victory.
The international willingness to embrace the results of what has been widely
described as the most fraudulent election in Nigerian history shocked many
Nigerians and international observers alike. One professor at the University of Port
Harcourt described the uncritical reaction from Nigeria’s foreign partners after the
first round of voting as “very sad,” adding that, “[i]t gives room for some kind of
despondency.” 384 An official with an international observer mission told Human
Rights Watch after the polls that, “I never thought the international community could
be so duped—duped willingly.” 385
International Engagement with the Yar’Adua Government
The international community’s largely uncritical acceptance of the openly rigged
2007 polls leaves its members in a weaker position than they might have been in
dealing with the Yar’Adua government. Since Western demands for reform ahead of
the April polls proved hollow, many Nigerian officials may see little reason to take
future demands seriously. Nonetheless, there remains ample room for constructive
use of international pressure to bring about reform. President Yar’Adua himself has
acknowledged that “we have to face a very serious challenge both internationally
and locally, as regards the outcome of the general election.” 386
Making that “challenge” a reality for the Nigerian government is crucial for the
credibility of the stated goal of Western governments to promote democracy on the
continent. Without a coherent response to such a flagrant flaunting of the democratic
383 “ECOWAS: Nigerian Polls Relatively Free,” Agence France-Presse, April 16, 2007.
384 Human Rights Watch interview with Ben Naanen, Port Harcourt, April 16, 2007.
385 Human Rights Watch interview, May 14, 2007.
386 “PDP Launches Fresh Move to Pacify Opposition’ by Umaru Henry and Paul Odenyi,” The Guardian June 26, 2007.
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