Nigeria, March 10 -- There is an old principle at the heart of every functioning democracy. Government makes the law, but government must also obey it. When that balance breaks, something deeper than a policy dispute is at stake. The credibility of the state itself begins to erode.

That is why the unfolding controversy around the appointments of Executive Directors to the Nigerian Revenue Service deserves far more attention than it is currently receiving. At first glance, it looks like just another bureaucratic disagreement over procedure. But the issue goes beyond procedure. It touches the very foundation of governance in a country that is already struggling with public trust in institutions.

The Nigerian Revenue Service was created t...