Nigeria, March 11 -- Nigeria's political landscape has long been shaped by rivalry, personal grudges, and a persistent culture of retaliation. In everyday parlance, the phrase "do-me-I-do-you" captures this reality with brutal clarity: if you frustrate my interests today, I will frustrate yours tomorrow. It is a mindset that has defined political behaviour across the country for decades. Recent developments surrounding the screening of political nominees, as presented by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, once again highlight how deeply entrenched this culture has become.

What should ordinarily be a constitutional exercise designed to ensure competence, accountability, and transparency has increasingly taken on the appearance of s...