This op-ed explores the stark contrast between Nigeria’s founding fathers and today’s politicians, urging citizens to reject recycled elites and demand real change and real solutions. Read…
Politicians vs Statesmen
The truth of the matter is that none of our so-called leaders or politicians of today can be compared to our Founding Fathers — the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, KBE, GCON (Gamji); Dr Michael Okpara, GCON; and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, GCFR, SAN. They were statesmen; now, we have politicians.
The Insincerity of Present-Day Politicians
I decided to take a break from our series on the lawlessness of law enforcement to discuss Nigerian politicians generally. Let me state categorically that I do not hold court for the Tinubu administration or anyone; I just state the facts as I see them.
Many consider our present-day politicians to be one of the most selfish, self-centred, self-serving bunch of people in history. The words of James Clarke aptly describe the average Nigerian politician — they only think about the next election, how to get into power and stay in power forever, amass wealth for themselves, gain everlasting control, and not much else. They are not too concerned about the welfare of the people.
“They were statesmen; now, we have politicians.”
This behaviour of doing anything to stay in office isn’t limited to Nigerian politicians alone — we have Paul Biya, Yuweri Museveni, Alassane Ouattara, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, and others who want to die in office. We also have the Oyinbo Kemi Badenoch, who will say anything to be popular with the British, including denying her Nigerian heritage or lying that her children cannot get Nigerian citizenship because she’s a woman. See Section 25(1)(a)-(c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) (the Constitution).
So, as the next cycle of elections is almost upon us, this is the time when all Nigerians must “shine their eyes”, and question not just the performance of the ruling APC and all the 2023–2027 administrations — that is, Federal and State Governments — vis-à-vis how well they have fared in achieving the goals set in Chapter II of the Constitution (the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy), but to thoroughly interrogate the Opposition who seek to replace them.
We must examine their agenda and proposed solutions to the problems we are facing — that is, if they have any viable alternatives or plans. Of course, a strong opposition is always required for a democracy to thrive — the threat that if you don’t do well, there are others standing by who can replace you. See Sections 38(1) and 40 of the Constitution, which guarantee the right of every Nigerian to freedom of thought and association, respectively.
Evaluate Politicians, Not Ethnic Propaganda
Take, for instance, the revamped Opposition Party, ADC, which appears to have taken over from PDP as the main opposition party. Its promoters are not brand new people who just dropped from Jupiter or Mars. A good number of them are not only politicians who have moved through the two major political parties that have landed Nigeria in these dire straits (that is, the PDP and APC — or at least one of them), they have also held office at the highest level of governance.
“This is the time when all Nigerians must ‘shine their eyes’.”
So, instead of listening to their divisive rhetoric — using ethnicity, religion, and all manner of devices to cause division amongst Nigerians for their own advantage — voters should be asking how they performed when they were in office. Did they loot the treasury? And most importantly, what is their party’s manifesto and their specific solutions to important matters affecting Nigeria, such as security, development, and corruption? How do they intend to outperform the incumbent administration?
It is no longer good enough for any aspiring politician, office holder, or party hoping to take over as the ruling party to simply tell us “Tinubu’s administration is bad”, or “Nigerians are hungry”, without showcasing viable, alternative policies that prove they have a better agenda. Is that not how the Jonathan administration was voted out?
“We simply went from frying pan to fire!”
People who had been part of the PDP’s failure simply jumped ship, repackaged themselves, took advantage of the fact that the Northern elite always wants the Presidency, leveraged President Buhari’s popularity and votes — and with absolutely no agenda or focus — won the election, then ran the country deeper into the ground. We simply went from frying pan to fire.
A Return to Sardauna’s Vision
I watched a video about the Sardauna — his life, beliefs, and works — and I’m sorry to say that no Northern leader appears to have lived up to his expectations. In almost 65 years post-independence, we have had over 40 years of Northern leadership. So, if the North has issues or is now considered to be disadvantaged, whose fault is it? President Tinubu, who assumed office two years ago? I think not.
As Governor Uba Sani said recently, Northern leaders must “look at themselves in the mirror, particularly those at the helm of affairs in the last 20 years… and accept the blame that we failed our region.” The truth is that all Northern politicians have done is to imbibe the culture of voting into their people, strengthening their election stance — but it hasn’t yielded any iota of dividends for the voters themselves.
“Pointing out problems without solutions is neither acceptable nor enough reason for anyone to be elected.”
Sardauna, aka Gamji, was a shade for the Northerners. Today’s Northern politicians have left their people exposed to the elements. They are upset, not because they care, but because they feel deprived of juicy portfolios in this administration.
The video showed how, during his time as Premier of the Northern Region, Sardauna transformed the education sector — establishing secondary schools across all 13 provinces, teacher training colleges, technical schools, and the Ahmadu Bello University. He dedicated at least 40% of his budget to education. Today, the North lags behind in every educational metric.
Governor Dauda Lawal is attempting to change that narrative. In 2024, Zamfara came second in the number of gifted students who passed the common entrance exam. Anambra was first. That was progress. But that alone is not enough.
“Northern politicians have left their people out in the open to be destroyed by the elements.”
Northern politicians must stop blaming others. It’s time for accountability.
Conclusion
Nigerians must look beyond the politics of division, hatred, and bitterness that politicians exploit to win votes, and instead insist on the politics of policies. Northern politicians should stop buck-passing — even lying outright — and accept that they failed the North.
While I’m not saying that the Tinubu administration is the best thing since sliced bread (because it isn’t), we must demand more from those who want to lead us — whether incumbent or aspiring — a coherent roadmap to get us out of trouble and onto the path of growth.
Pointing out problems and issues that even a five-year-old child is aware of, without proffering any real solutions, is neither acceptable nor enough reason for anyone to be elected.
Nigerians deserve more.
The story continues…
The opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily align with the views of JolibaLive News! or any of its staff members. The author is in no way associated with this online news blog.
Rate, Like 👍, Comment💬, share this article, Follow us on our social media handles, and Submit your own story to get featured and earn rewards!
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
