In the annals of the APC’s “anti-corruption” narrative, there’s a recurring chapter that never quite reaches its conclusion: the “ever-pending justice.” For some politically connected individuals within or even formerly associated with the ruling party, their corruption cases don’t necessarily get dismissed or acquitted; they simply enter a state of suspended animation, perpetually stuck in legal limbo, like a bad movie on a continuous loop. This ingenious mechanism ensures that while the allegations linger, the accused remains free, influential, and largely unbothered by the actual consequences of a final judgment.
Let’s examine one more such curious case:
Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau: The Appeal That Time Forgot
Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, former Kano State Governor and a prominent figure from the ANPP faction that merged to form the APC, found himself entangled in an EFCC case. He was arraigned in May 2018 for allegedly receiving ₦950 million from Diezani Alison-Madueke, purportedly to influence the 2015 general elections. The trial commenced, the EFCC presented its case, and in September 2019, the court dismissed his “no-case submission,” ordering him to open his defense. It seemed the wheels of justice were indeed turning.
However, Shekarau, then a serving Senator (and thus, presumably, still under the APC’s umbrella, although his faction later left citing internal injustice), appealed this decision. The last public update on his case, dating back to September 2020, indicated that the Appeal Court had reserved judgment on his interlocutory appeal. And then… silence. For years, the public has heard nothing definitive about the outcome of that appeal or any subsequent progression of the trial. Did the Appeal Court rule? Did the trial resume? Was it ultimately dismissed, or has it simply faded into the vast, murky sea of Nigeria’s unresolved legal cases?
The ambiguity is telling. For a ₦950 million fraud case involving a former governor and senator, the prolonged silence is deafening. It highlights a system where, even if a politician is not outright “covered” by a defection, their cases can simply drift into an eternal procedural loop, never quite reaching a conclusion that holds them accountable. This “never-ending story” effectively serves the same purpose as an outright dismissal: the accused remains free, the public’s memory fades, and the elusive quest for justice takes a permanent vacation.
Shekarau’s journey, albeit complex with his eventual departure from the APC due to internal politics, still underscores a broader systemic issue. Whether you’re an incoming defector getting an instant pass, or an existing figure whose case just quietly withers on the vine, the pattern remains consistent: for politically significant individuals, especially those within or with past ties to the ruling party, the path to judicial resolution often leads to a convenient dead end.
The APC’s anti-corruption playbook seems to have a chapter dedicated not to prosecution, but to judicial procrastination. This allows the party to maintain its “anti-corruption” facade while simultaneously accommodating politicians whose pasts might otherwise be problematic. It’s a pragmatic approach, surely, if your goal is power retention rather than genuine accountability.