Afrobeat musician Femi Kuti has argued that institutional corruption, rather than President Bola Tinubu alone, is at the heart of Nigeria’s longstanding political and social problems, during a recent episode of the Good News Naija podcast.
Kuti said Nigeria’s difficulties were rooted in institutions that, in his view, had repeatedly failed to uphold standards of accountability, integrity and justice.
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“Do you think Tinubu is the problem? The judiciary that didn’t stop him from getting there in the first place is a problem,” Kuti said, according to DailyPost.
The musician questioned how a political system could produce credible leadership when institutions responsible for enforcing standards were themselves failing to prevent allegations surrounding political figures from reaching the presidency.
“If all the allegations against him are true, how did he contest?” Kuti asked.
He added that a stronger institutional framework would have prevented such questions from becoming a recurring feature of Nigerian politics.
“If we had men and women of calibre and integrity, he wouldn’t have been able to contest in the first place,” Kuti said.
Kuti’s argument shifts attention from the individual occupying the presidency to the wider structures that determine who can seek office, how candidates are scrutinised and how allegations are adjudicated.
His comments also reflect a longstanding theme in his public advocacy. As the son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, Femi Kuti has frequently used his music and public platform to criticise corruption, inequality and political dysfunction in Nigeria.
That position has also featured prominently in his music. In an interview about his 2021 album Stop the Hate, Kuti described the difficulties facing ordinary Nigerians and criticised the cycle in which citizens continue to vote for politicians accused of corruption.
His broader criticism is therefore not limited to the current administration. Kuti has previously argued that Nigeria’s political problems are sustained by the behaviour of institutions and citizens alike, rather than by one government or individual.
The judiciary is particularly significant in Kuti’s latest argument because Nigerian courts have historically played a central role in resolving disputes over elections, qualifications and allegations involving political candidates.
At the same time, Kuti’s remarks about Tinubu’s eligibility are political commentary rather than a judicial finding. Allegations against any public official must be distinguished from facts established by a competent court.
Kuti also warned about the effect of systemic corruption on younger Nigerians, arguing that deeply rooted corruption could erode their confidence in the country’s future.
His intervention comes amid continuing public debate over the Tinubu administration, economic pressures and the effectiveness of Nigeria’s institutions.
President Tinubu has defended his administration’s reforms, particularly measures aimed at restructuring the economy, while critics have questioned the social cost and implementation of some of those policies.
The contrast is important because Kuti’s argument goes beyond whether one administration has performed well or badly.
His central contention is that changing political leadership without strengthening the institutions that regulate power would leave the underlying problems largely intact.
That is a more challenging diagnosis, because it places responsibility across the political system rather than solely on the occupant of Aso Rock.
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For Kuti, the decisive question is therefore not simply who governs Nigeria, but whether the country’s institutions possess enough independence, integrity and effectiveness to hold those in power accountable.
Oreoluwa is an accountant and a brand writer with a flair for journalism.
