Obasanjo, Buhari, Tinubu are among Nigeria’s accidental leaders, says Kukah
By Jeffrey Agbo
Catholic bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has labelled Nigeria’s recent leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, as accidental rulers.
Speaking on Sunday at the Start-Rite School’s new building commissioning and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture, Kukah argued that none of these leaders were adequately prepared for the demanding role of leading Africa’s most populous nation.
The cleric pointed out the cyclical nature of Nigerian leadership, where individuals are thrust into power by unforeseen circumstances.
Kukah lamented the lack of foresight and strategic planning that characterises the country’s leadership.
Kukah emphasised the crucial role of knowledge in effective governance and expressed concern that while Nigeria has embraced democratic principles, the quality of leadership has consistently fallen short.
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He stated, “If we are to start from the beginning, you will find that almost every leader who came to power in Nigeria did so as a result of one accident or another. President Tinubu, who said he was prepared for the role, is struggling. We are still trying to get off the ground. He took over from Buhari, who had already given up.
“Buhari succeeded Jonathan, who thought he would retire after being deputy governor, but circumstances thrust him into power. Jonathan succeeded Yar’Adua, who had planned to return to teaching at Ahmadu Bello University after his governorship.
“Yar’Adua, in turn, succeeded Obasanjo, who was unexpectedly released from prison to become president. Obasanjo took over after Abacha, who was being positioned by five political parties to rule indefinitely until nature intervened.
“Abacha succeeded Shonekan, who was a business executive at UAC before being called to serve as Head of State. We can go on and on, but the fundamental issue in governance is knowledge. Leaders need a deep understanding of their environment.”
In a separate address, NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa highlighted the importance of early leadership development. He attributed the nation’s societal ills to leadership failures and a lack of accountability.
Marwa also revealed a disturbing trend of visually impaired individuals becoming involved in illicit drug trade.