I don't agree with the idea that politics is inherently a "dirty game." Rather, it's the people involved who determine whether it remains "clean" or becomes "dirty." I once heard an illustration that I think captures this idea well: Politics is like water. You can add mud to it, making it dirty, or you can keep it clear and use it for good. Ultimately, politics itself is neutral; it's up to us, the participants, to decide whether to keep it clean or let it become polluted.

Despite all the political misery I am confronted with every day, it still is my profound conviction that the very essence of politics is not dirty; dirt is brought in only by wicked people. I admit that this is an area of human activity where the temptation to advance through unfair actions may be stronger than elsewhere, and which thus makes higher demands on human integrity. But it is not true at all that a politician cannot do without lying or intriguing. That is sheer nonsense, often spread by those who want to discourage people from taking an interest in public affairs. Of course, in politics, just as anywhere else in life, it is impossible and it would not be sensible always to say everything bluntly. Yet that does not mean one has to lie. What is needed here are tact, instinct and good taste.

Politics is a dirty business, a ruse, an ideological cul-de-sac, a vast looter of intellectual and financial resources, a lie that corrupts, a deceiver, a means of unleashing vast evil in the world of the most unexpected and undetected sort and the greatest diverter of human productivity ever concocted by those who do not believe in authentic social and economic progress.

As a country, we need to confront this issue and find ways to address it. Women need to be active participants in political spaces, but in our culture, politics is often seen as a ‘dirty game,’ and many prefer to avoid it to maintain their integrity.

It is not the game of politics that is dirty; it is the player that can be dirty

Could politics ever be anything but politics, practical, cynical, compromised, ugly?

NOT EVERYBODY is comfortable with the idea that politics is a guilty addiction. But it is. They are addicts, and they are guilty and they do lie and cheat and steal — like all junkies. And when they get in a frenzy, they will sacrifice anything and anybody to feed their cruel and stupid habit, and there is no cure for it.

Not everybody is comfortable with the idea that politics is a guilty addiction. But it is. They are addicts, and they are guilty and they do lie and cheat and steal — like all junkies. And when they get in a frenzy, they will sacrifice anything and anybody to feed their cruel and stupid habit, and there is no cure for it. That is addictive thinking. That is politics — especially in presidential campaigns. That is when the addicts seize the high ground. They care about nothing else. They are salmon, and they must spawn. They are addicts.

Foolish people practice politics, not by serving as generals, secretaries, or popular leaders, but by inciting the mob, giving public speeches, fostering discord, or performing public service out of obligation; and, conversely, those who are civic-minded, philanthropic, devoted to the city, attentive, and truly political are always practicing politics by the promotion of those in power, the guidance of those needing direction, the support of those deliberating, the correction of those causing harm, and the reinforcement of those who are sensible.

Politics is shit; it corrupts everything it touches, and getting involved in it only leads to misery and dissatisfaction.

Politics without morality is close to sin.

He wanted me to understand two big things: First, that nobody, no group, is above others. Public servants are obliged to level with everybody, whether or not they'll like what he has to say. And second, that politics was a matter of personal honor. A man's word is his bond. You give your word, you keep it. For as long as I can remember, I've had a sort of romantic notion of what politics should be- and can be. If you do politics the right way, I believe, you can actually make people's lives better. And integrity is the minimum ante to get into the game. Nearly forty years after I first got involved, I remain captivated by the possibilities of politics and public service. In fact, I believe- as I know my grandpop did- that my chosen profession is a noble calling.

Corruption of politics has nothing to do with the morals, or the laxity of morals, of various political personalities. Its cause is altogether a material one. Politics is the reflex of the business and industrial world, the mottos of which are: "To take is more blessed than to give"; "buy cheap and sell dear"; "one soiled hand washes the other." There is no hope even that woman, with her right to vote, will ever purify politics.

In those days, they played politics with love, now it is money and power. That does not mean women cannot be better politicians; they should do it with honesty. For instance, the likes of my mother and Madam Funmilayo Ransome Kuti used the opportunity they had to help a lot of people; but now, we can’t get close to them. You must know what you want to do before going into politics. Our men should stop holding meetings late at nights. In other parts of the world, no political meetings at night. Going into politics does not mean there shouldn’t be time for the family. Many women are brilliant and will deliver if given the opportunity.