A recent issue of The Economist examined the presidential bid of Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria's former anti-corruption chief. Ribadu made his name as the first head of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2003. In this role, he pursued politicians and civil servants who were embezzling the energy revenues of Africa's biggest oil and gas producer
Ribadu's fortunes dipped when Umaru Yar'Adua took office as president in 2007. The sleaze buster was sidelined and later fled the country, returning only after Yar'Adua's death in May this year. He now hopes to run for the top job himself in elections due in early 2011.
The Economist talked to Ribadu about whether he would be able to run a clean campaign in Nigeria's often murky political scene.


WHY have you decided to run for president next year?
I understand now that to bring about change I need political power at the highest level. That means the presidency. I have worked under a president, and many say we did a good job at the EFCC, but when change came [and a new president took office] all our work was destroyed. It was all reversed.”

How will you use presidential power to continue your fight against corruption?
Just appointing me will be half the answer. When people see me, they will sit up and know that the era of corruption is over. On the practical level, I will run a transparent government that publishes accounts online. I will create “whistleblower laws” to protect the identities of those who expose corruption. I will reform the police and the judiciary.
Corruption causes all the problems that we have here. It causes the poverty and the insecurity. And there is no one better qualified to address the problem of corruption in this country than me.

Nigerian political campaigns are costly affairs that often rely on the sponsorship of unsavoury characters. Can you run a clean campaign in a dirty system? For example, will you probe your sponsors to find out the sources of their wealth?
Everything about me has always been clean and this will be a clean campaign, in any case, I will not need as much money as other parties because I am not going to bribe anyone. My campaign is about winning over people with my ideas, not my money.
But I will not probe anybody. I am not the EFCC chairman here - I am a politician who is trying to get people to support me. If money is coming to change a system that needs change, why should [the source] matter? Why try to destroy this opportunity?

You have chosen to run against the ruling People's Democratic Party with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Some Nigerian are raising eyebrows at this choice. Bola Tinubu, one of the ACN's most powerful members, has been under EFCC investigation for years. Does this concern you?
You should not worry about individuals when you are working on a project of this magnitude. It might affect the outcome, I am convinced that the mission we are out to do is not about an individual.

Your critics also note that you have never held political office before. Why not serve as a senator or governor for one term, and then run for president in 2015?
We can't wait for 2015. Nigeria's problems must be arrested immediately. There is no way we can allow this mess to continue. Also, for the first time, the ruling party is in real trouble. Goodluck Jonathan [the incumbent] is from a very small ethnic group, Sadly, even if he were the best person for the job, northern Nigeria would never accept it. He is not electable.