30th Of November, 2025

THE THIEF COMES TO STEAL KILL AND DESTROY: THE BIBLICAL FRAMEWORK AND ITS POLITICAL PARALLEL

_Gold C. W. Emmanuel, PhD; CPsychol…_

The Johannine text depicts the thief as an agent of illegitimacy whose purpose is to dispossess annihilate and devastate. Applied to governance this metaphor resonates profoundly in contexts where electoral integrity is compromised. A mandate obtained through fraud is inherently parasitic. It lacks the moral and democratic legitimacy to serve the common good. Such a government mirrors the biblical thief because its foundational act is theft and its subsequent policies tend toward destruction rather than restoration.

*Historical Cases of Stolen Mandates*

Nigeria’s democratic history is punctuated by episodes of electoral robbery. The 1983 general election under Shehu Shagari was condemned for massive rigging culminating in violence and a military coup. In 1993 the annulment of the June 12 election won by Moshood Abiola remains the most egregious theft of a popular mandate plunging the nation into political and economic paralysis. The 2007 presidential election under Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was declared deeply flawed by international observers with Yar’Adua himself admitting the process was compromised. More recently the 2019 and 2023 elections have been marred by allegations of vote suppression ballot snatching and judicial complicity reinforcing the perception that electoral theft is systemic rather than episodic.

Debt Explosion After Each Flawed Mandate:

The pattern is unmistakable. Electoral illegitimacy correlates with fiscal recklessness. Consider the trajectory

_Yar’Adua Era 2007–2010_

Inherited debt ₦2.42 trillion

Exit debt ₦6.17 trillion

Increase approximately 155 percent

Borrowing was cautious yet inefficiencies and corruption persisted.

_Jonathan Era 2010–2015_

Inherited debt ₦6.17 trillion

Exit debt ₦9.8 trillion

Increase approximately 58 percent

Loans for infrastructure were contracted but impact was muted by inflated contracts and abandoned projects.

_Buhari Era 2015–2023_

Inherited debt ₦12.06 trillion

Exit debt ₦87.38 trillion

Increase over 624 percent

External debt soared to 41.69 billion dollars. Debt servicing consumed up to 96 percent of revenue by 2022 leaving negligible fiscal space for development.

*Discrepancy* Buhari’s inherited figure is higher than Jonathan’s exit figure because the Debt Management Office recalculated and included previously unreported obligations such as Ways and Means advances and arrears. This adjustment explains the difference.

_Tinubu Era 2023–Present_

Inherited debt ₦87.38 trillion

Current debt 2025 ₦149.39 trillion

Increase approximately 71 percent in just over two years

Drivers include securitisation of Ways and Means advances naira devaluation and fiscal deficits. Projection ₦180 trillion by end of 2025.

*Summary Table*

| Administration | Years in Office | Debt Inherited (₦ trillion) | Debt at Exit (₦ trillion) | Percentage Increase |

|—————|—————–|—————————–|—————————|———————|

| Yar’Adua 2007–2010 | 3 | 2.42 | 6.17 | 155.0% |

| Jonathan 2010–2015 | 5 | 6.17 | 9.80 | 58.8% |

| Buhari 2015–2023 | 8 | 12.06 | 87.38 | 624.5% |

| Tinubu 2023–2025 | 2.2 | 87.38 | 149.39 | 71.0% |

(Jonathan completed Yar’Adua’s term before serving his own full term. Tinubu’s figure reflects just over two years and is still accruing).

*Borrowing as a Mechanism of Economic Predation*

The second dimension of the thief’s mission destruction finds expression in reckless borrowing. Nigeria’s debt profile has ballooned under successive administrations yet the developmental impact of these loans remains elusive. From Abacha’s siphoning of billions under the guise of national security to Jonathan’s inflated infrastructure contracts and Buhari’s unprecedented borrowing binge the pattern is clear. Borrowed funds rarely translate into public goods. Tinubu’s administration has deepened this crisis mortgaging future generations for resources they will never enjoy.

*International Reactions to Electoral Theft*

Global observers have repeatedly condemned Nigeria’s flawed elections. In 2007 the European Union described the polls as the worst they had ever seen anywhere in the world citing rampant rigging violence and ballot theft. The International Republican Institute and National Democratic Institute concluded that the process failed the Nigerian people. Human Rights Watch reported collusion between government officials and perpetrators of fraud and violence.

In 2019 the EU Election Observation Mission noted systemic failings and urged urgent reforms. The Commonwealth Observer Group expressed concern over violence and technical failures while the African Union called for greater transparency and inclusion. The joint IRI NDI mission stated that the elections fell significantly short of standards set in 2015 shaking citizens’ confidence in democracy.

The 2023 elections attracted similar criticism. The EU final report cited operational failures and lack of transparency which damaged trust in the process. The Commonwealth highlighted failures of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Results Viewing Portal. The African Union acknowledged progress under the Electoral Act 2022 but noted widespread disenfranchisement and logistical shortcomings. These reactions underscore a global consensus that Nigeria’s electoral integrity remains deeply compromised.

*The Moral Argument*

If this administration had not stolen the people’s mandate its conduct would reflect democratic accountability rather than predatory governance. A legitimate government seeks to build not to destroy. By contrast the present trajectory marked by electoral illegitimacy and fiscal recklessness embodies the biblical thief whose purpose is not service but sabotage.

G.Emmanuel@cras.org.uk

Gold.E@cras.org.uk