Nigeria’s problem is institutional corruption, not Tinubu — Femi Kuti

Afrobeat musician and activist, Femi Kuti, has argued that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not the fundamental problem confronting Nigeria, blaming the country’s deep-rooted institutional corruption for its persistent challenges.

Kuti said Nigeria’s major problem was the failure of institutions, particularly the judiciary, to uphold integrity and accountability in the country’s political system.

The Afrobeat legend made the remarks during a recent episode of the Good News Naija podcast, where he questioned how Tinubu could have emerged as a presidential candidate if Nigeria had a judicial system capable of effectively scrutinising allegations against political office seekers.

“Do you think Tinubu is the problem? The judiciary that didn’t stop him from getting there in the first place is a problem. If all the allegations against him are true, how did he contest?” Kuti asked.

He argued that the country would have produced a different political leadership structure if its institutions were headed by people with integrity and the courage to enforce accountability.

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“If we had men and women of calibre and integrity, he wouldn’t have been able to contest in the first place,” he said.

Kuti maintained that corruption had become deeply entrenched across Nigeria’s political and public institutions, with individuals occupying positions of authority in different sectors often drawn from what he described as the same corrupt elite class.

According to him, focusing exclusively on the president risks overlooking the broader institutional failures that have allowed corruption to persist over successive administrations.

The musician further warned that the scale of systemic corruption was increasingly discouraging young Nigerians and could undermine their belief in the possibility of a better future within the country.

His comments come amid continued public debate over governance, accountability and the role of Nigeria’s institutions in addressing allegations of corruption and abuse of power.

Kuti’s position was that meaningful change would require strengthening institutions and ensuring that individuals entrusted with public responsibilities are subjected to effective checks and accountability, regardless of their political status.