Government is absolutist in Nigeria because it was so instituted by the colonial authorities. As long as government is such, the absolute control of state power resources by government would not result in its abuse only if the armed forces were to mutate into a puritanic moralist institution that would enforce that law against the abuse by office holders. We see this much in the executive- legislature contestations over power. This situation presents President Obasanjo a choice and he must choose. If he wants to fight official corruption he must embrace the movement to establish Populist democracy in Nigeria.
Populist democracy is premised upon the democratic restructure of government in Nigeria.
President Obasanjo has a choice to cast his lot with democratic forces such as the NLC or continue as an idealist who wants absolute power to be self-limiting. Yet his concerns point to the possibility of governance based on service, accountability and transparency. But these concerns will be realised only with a deliberate investment in a state creation political party based on mass mobilisation to effect a democratic nation-building economy. This much his avowed campaign to wage war against official corruption implies. This much he can do to place himself at the disposal of the democracy forces whose strength he has felt through experience.