By Ochuko Ekpekurede

Many politicians  are out in the field cajoling the electorate for votes using anti- corruption messages. They have correctly read the mood of the electorate and understand how anti-corruption message resonate with them. Now, every politician who fancies his chance to win an elective office sings the anti- corruption song.

Much as the prominence given to anti-corruption issues in current campaign by aspirants to the political leadership of our dear country is a welcome development, a situation where people, either certified to be corrupt or have pending corruption cases hanging around their necks, now come around to lecture Nigerians on how they will fight corruption is perhaps the greatest insult of the current campaign.

The three sixty degrees transformation of politicians, from indicted felons into anti-corruption campaigners, is a huge fraud and deserves condemnation. And you find examples across the parties but one political party certainly has preponderance of such characters.

File Photo: Former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipriye Sylver sandwiched by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission officials at the Federal High Court, CBD, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 05/06/2012

I chuckle each time I listen to people like former Bayelsa State Governor Timipreye Sylva sermonizing on how his party will wipe corruption out of Nigeria. The same man was arraigned by the EFCC for corruption and I am not aware that the case has been thrown out or that the charges have been dropped.

Also, the last time I checked, the anti-corruption agency, the EFCC, claimed it has not closed its investigation into how Bukola Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State and chieftain of the APC, allegedly ran Societe Generale Bank aground and allegedly misappropriated the funds of Kwara State during his tenure. Yet, he has no scruples hollering on how Nigeria should fight corruption. For many who know Saraki, who is now a member of the Senate, his recent posture, as a campaigner against graft, causes a starry-eyed response. Only last December, Saraki, as Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, faulted the Federal Government’s decision to budget N9.3billion intervention on the Clean Cookstove initiative.

What should perhaps be questionable was Saraki’s morality at raising an eyebrow against what he obviously insinuated was exercise that did not follow due process.

He was being investigated over the N21,000,000,000 belonging to Joy Petroleum Ltd. Saraki had to run to the Federal High Court in Abuja, requesting for an injunction to prevent the police from arresting him, in order to protect his “dignity and prevent further harassment”.

What about Danjuma Goje, a former governor of Gombe State? In between campaigns, he shuttle to Gombe where a Federal High Court is hearing the case of how he allegedly mismanaged over N50billion during his tenure.

Bola Tinubu, the   strongman of Lagos, notwithstanding all the hues and cries about the so-called satanic advertorial sponsored by his political opponents, has many explainations to make about how he ran the affairs of Lagos State as governor.  The alleged continued dominance in the execution of public contracts in Lagos by companies in which he allegedly has interests raises moral issues.

In the camp of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, much has been said about the wrong signal implicit in the decision to appoint Femi Fani-Kayode as the face of the campaign of President Gooodluck Jonathan. Fani- Kayode is being prosecuted for corruption by the EFCC. Ditto for Ayo Fayose, the loquacious governor of Ekiti State.

Of course, these people have the usual alibi that they are innocent of what ever charges have been levelled against them until proven guilty by a competent court of law. The rule of law dictates so. But beyond what the law states, morality plays a very crucial role in the affairs of men. The morally tainted cannot come to the market square to preach integrity and accountability. My advice to all the political parties is to put their best feet forward when the debate is about corruption. Jesters must not be allowed to continue to insult our collective intelligence.

*Ekpekurede, a public affairs commentator,  lives in Abuja.