Nigeria, May 29 -- Every Nigeria's quadrennial carnival of deception, Nigeria indulges in the same exhausting national ritual. The search for the savior. We scrutinize political candidates as though the fate of two hundred million people depends on discovering a morally upright messiah hidden somewhere within the political class. We debate pedigree, charisma, tribe, religion, and intentions with almost theological intensity, convinced that if the "right man" finally enters Aso Rock, the country will suddenly pivot toward order, prosperity, and justice.

It is one of the most dangerous delusions in Nigerian political culture.

States are not transformed by the purity of individual men operating inside rotten machinery. Putting an honest i...