Bishop Matthew Kukah, the Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, has described President Bola Tinubu, former President Muhammadu Buhari, and other past Nigerian leaders as products of an “accidental leadership cycle.”
He argued that many of these leaders ascended to power without adequate preparation for the complexities of governance in today’s evolving world.
Speaking on Sunday at the commissioning of the new Start-Rite School building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja, Kukah reflected on Nigeria’s leadership trajectory.
He noted a recurring pattern of leaders who assumed office by chance rather than through deliberate planning or preparation.
“If we look at Nigeria’s leadership journey, you will find that almost every leader who came to power did so by accident,” Kukah remarked. “President Tinubu, despite claiming to be prepared for the role, is clearly struggling. We are still trying to find our footing. He took over from Buhari, who had already disengaged from governance.
“Buhari succeeded Jonathan, a man who never envisioned himself as president but was thrust into leadership due to circumstances. Jonathan took over from Yar’Adua, who planned to return to teaching after his governorship. Yar’Adua succeeded Obasanjo, who was unexpectedly released from prison to become president. Before that, Obasanjo replaced Abacha, who was poised to rule indefinitely until nature intervened. Abacha followed Shonekan, a business executive abruptly drafted to lead the country. The cycle is evident, and the missing link in all of this is knowledge and preparation.”
Kukah lamented that despite adopting democratic principles like “one man, one vote,” Nigeria’s democratic system has repeatedly failed to produce competent leadership. He stressed that modern governance requires leaders who are well-prepared and knowledgeable about the complexities of today’s challenges.
Also speaking at the event, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), highlighted the importance of cultivating leadership qualities early in life. He attributed many of Nigeria’s challenges to a lack of accountability and leadership failures.
Marwa also shared a troubling revelation about the drug trade, disclosing the involvement of visually impaired individuals in illicit trafficking.
“Recently, the NDLEA uncovered a cartel involving visually impaired individuals,” Marwa revealed. “We arrested a blind man transporting a large consignment of cannabis from Lagos to Kano. During interrogation, he claimed he didn’t know the package’s contents and provided the name of another blind individual in Lagos. This led us to another blind man, and eventually, we traced the ultimate handler, who was also blind.”
Both Kukah and Marwa called for a more deliberate and informed approach to leadership development in Nigeria, emphasizing that knowledge and accountability are crucial for progress.
