SB Morgen Intelligence reported that President Muhammadu Buhari anti-graft war has recovered N150, 904, 221, 100; $260,700,000; £2,122,090; and €547,730 between October 2015 and April 2017. For a patriotic Nigeria, no matter one’s sentiment towards PMB or the Magu-led EFCC, one will agree that this is a commendable feat – feat most analysts have attributed to the strong political will of PMB and his aversion towards corruption. However, other latent variables made it possible to achieve this feat; prominent among which is the contradiction within the Nigerian elites.

Viewed from the lens of Marxist Dialectical Materialism, which posits that contradiction is inherent in nature, the PMB anti-graft war is a contradiction (a struggle) between the moral elites and the immoral elites. The immoral elites, having being in power for a greater part of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, have consolidated their economic power through looting of state treasury while the moral elites do not have the same economic power as the immoral elites.

As a build up to the 2019 general elections, the moral elites, majority of which are currently in power, are using their political power to close the gap in economic power between them and the immoral elites.

However, since they cannot loot the state treasury as their counterpart due to PMB’s aversion to corruption and their personal convictions, the alternative is to reduce the economic power of their counterpart. This will ensure that by 2019 general elections, hopefully, the immoral elites will not constitute a threat to the moral elites since their economic power will most likely be lesser than that of the moral elites or at least equal.

The net effect of this contradiction within the Nigerian elites is that the outcome will change the nature and character of the Nigerian state, to the benefit of Nigerian masses. Nigeria being a creation of colonialism, has always favoured looting of state resources, from the colonial rule through the military era and the civilian regimes. PMB’s anti-graft war is changing Nigeria from a country where corruption is celebrated with chieftaincy title and thanksgiving, to a country where corruption has no hiding place.

 Today, the corrupt sleep with one eye open, not out of fear of burglars and armed robbers, but out of fear of whistle-blowers. With the high rate of poverty, anybody is a potential whistle-blower. The corrupt can no longer enjoy his/her loot by feeding his/her ostentatious life style because the eagle (EFCC) is hovering over him/her, while whistle-blowers prowl around town.

PMB seems to be winning the fight against corruption because it is a political survival strategy of the moral elites. The fight against corruption will reduce the economic power of the immoral elites and neutralize any threat that they may constitute come 2019 general elections. While on the other hand the moral elites cannot loot the state treasury due to PMB’s aversion to corruption and their personal convictions.

 The net effect therefore is that the Nigerian state will have more resources to develop infrastructure and improve the standard of living of Nigerians. Indeed, APC is living by its slogan of change as Nigeria is on motion. The nature and character of Nigerian state is undergoing a fundamental change. What will be the nature and character of Nigerian state at the end of PMB’s tenure? Only time can tell.

The writer of this article, Abdullahi Ibn-Yunusa, is a PhD Candidate, Department of Political Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

Please note: This is an unedited article and the raw opinions of the writer.