Former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai says Nigeria is facing its most difficult moment since the 1914 amalgamation, blaming what he described as “urban bandits” for hijacking the nation’s leadership....READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE |
Speaking in Abuja on Saturday at a lecture marking the 60th birthday of Rotimi Amaechi, former Rivers governor, el-Rufai said the country is off track due to poor leadership choices.
He spoke on the theme, “Weaponisation of Poverty as a Means of Underdevelopment: A Case Study of Nigeria”.
His words: “Nigeria is in its biggest trouble since 1914, and that is why we are together working and conspiring to build a coalition to take Nigeria back on track because it is off track.
“We have allowed urban bandits, not the ones in the bushes, but the ones in the urban area, called the urban bandits, to take over leadership.”
El-Rufai said Nigeria’s misfortune is the result of repeatedly electing incompetent people who do not understand the demands of governance.
He said: “I believe that the problem that we have is that we just get incompetent people, and we hand over leadership to them.
“Most of them don’t really know what to do. They just know how to grab power but don’t know what to do with it.
“Wherever there’s progress in Nigeria, it’s because a competent person has been given the opportunity.”
The former FCT minister urged Nigerians to reflect ahead of the 2027 general elections and choose leaders based on merit and vision.
“I think the key challenge for Nigerians in 2027 is really to look at those who are offering themselves for leadership and pick those who have the competence, capability, capacity, and commitment to move Nigeria forward,” he said.