Shamelessness as Virtue: Africa’s New Political Currency
Shamelessness as Virtue: Africa’s New Political Currency
Last Monday, the world woke up to the unsurprising news of Paul Biya’s eighth term victory at age 92. Cameroon’s nonagenarian leader has ruled since 1982, and with this latest win, he will remain in power until 2032, nearly a century old. His victory, confirmed by a 93-year-old constitutional council chair, was not merely political theatre. It was a psychological portrait of a continent where power has become inheritance, not responsibility.
Biya’s triumph is not about longevity; it is about Africa’s democratic decay, a tragic déjà vu of Mugabe’s stubbornness and Mobutu’s vanity. Elections across the continent have become rituals of retention, not renewal. The lesson our leaders have learned is simple: shame is optional, survival is everything.
When Shamelessness Becomes a Strategy
The phrase “shamelessness as virtue” should not exist. Yet it perfectly defines our political age. Once upon a time, virtue demanded integrity, and shame served as society’s moral compass. Today, both have been exiled. In their place stands a new creed: audacity without accountability.
Shamelessness is no longer a flaw; it is a political strategy. It is how leaders outlive scandal, rebrand disgrace, and convert public outrage into loyalty. As Nietzsche observed, “He who despises himself still respects himself as one who despises.” But our modern leaders have even outsourced self-contempt to public relations firms.
Donald Trump industrialized shamelessness, turning lies into slogans and scandals into spectacles. Nicolas Sarkozy, convicted of corruption, rebranded himself as a misunderstood visionary. Tony Blair lied his way into Iraq and now lectures on ethics. In each case, shame was not a setback but a steppingstone.
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Nigeria: The Republic of Forgery
If shamelessness had a headquarters, it would be Nigeria. Here, politicians do not hide their scandals; they parade them. They steal and donate. They lie and campaign. They defect between parties like footballers switching clubs for signing bonuses.
From Salisu Buhari’s Toronto degree to Uche Nnaji’s forged credentials, forgery in Nigeria has evolved from scandal to tradition. Ministers like Betta Edu and Kemi Adeosun resigned amid corruption and certificate controversies, but none faced meaningful consequences. Suspension here is not punishment; it is a waiting period before reappointment.
In Nigeria, fraud is infrastructural, not incidental. Our data, certificates, and even court documents are commodities. When a minister’s National Identification Number can be bought for 100 naira online, it signals a national security collapse. Fraud is no longer an act; it is a system.
From Thrones to Tarmacs: A Culture Without Consequence
Shamelessness has spread beyond politics into palaces and pop culture. Monarchs convicted abroad for fraud still sit on thrones at home. Celebrities breach flight safety rules and are later courted as brand ambassadors. Even royal fathers now dance on social media, turning sacred crowns into selfie props.
As a Yoruba proverb warns, “Bi oba ba ti n jo loja, ki ni ilu nse?” If the king dances in the market, what then shall the town do? When those meant to model dignity abandon it, the people lose their moral compass.
The Death of Shame, the Rise of Spectacle
The world has normalized shamelessness because scandal no longer shocks; it entertains. The EFCC arrests, the courts delay, and the public moves on. In the end, corruption is not punished; it is televised.
As James Baldwin warned, “Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” But today, the true menace is shamelessness allied with power, the audacity to fail publicly and demand applause.
Kierkegaard foresaw it long ago: “The greatest danger, that of losing oneself, can occur very quietly… as if it were nothing at all.” That quiet erosion of conscience is what defines our age. We are witnessing not just political decay, but the moral disintegration of leadership itself.
Shamelessness may win elections, but it destroys nations. Its reward is temporary power; its cost is permanent distrust. For societies to heal, shame must be restored, not as humiliation, but as moral restraint, the invisible guardrail of civilization.
Until then, our leaders will continue to dance on the ashes of accountability and call it governance.
Content Credit: Ohidah Oluwaferanmi
Image Credit: Nigerianinfo.com
