Nigeria’s current leadership structure faulty – Ex-Kwara Gov Abdulfatah

From Okwe Obi, Abuja

A former Governor of Kwara State Abdulfatah Ahmed has faulted the current leadership structure of the country which he said was devoid of competence and capabilities.

Ahmed, who spoke at the inauguration of the national coordinators of a group known as Rescue Nigeria Project (RNP), ahead of the 2023 general polls, yesterday in Abuja, said the system was a reflection of ethnoreligious interest and geographical sentiments.

“If you look at the current situation we are in now, you will see that Nigeria requires to be moved better than where we are today. We need to drive it with a sense of urgency if we want to effect new things and get things done differently.

“If you look at the current political situation and landscape, the selection process is likely hinged on geographical interest or ethnoreligious interest,” he said.

Asked why he did not effect the change while in government, he said: “In politics, you want to continuously see things change for the better because of the people.

“Because no matter what you have done in the past, if you see new ways of doing things to get you new results you will naturally run to hold on to that because you cannot continue to do the same old things and expect to get a better result.”

Meanwhile, a former Minister of Information, Frank Nweke Jnr, who decried the spate of killings, poverty and unemployment that have engulfed different parts of the country, called on Nigerians to join RNP, to change the narrative.

Nweke said, “I believe that there is absolutely no doubt that our country is in a very bad place at this time; challenges of insecurity, high unemployment, inflation, banditry and terrorism and even our foreign policy all over the world is at the lowest ebb from the time when we intervened in other countries to restore law and order and democracy.

“Nigeria democracy is severely challenged. Twenty years post to return to democracy, our country is in the worst crisis ever since independence.

“So, there is actually no contention whatsoever. Now, on the matter of RNP, I believe that any well-meaning citizens who agree that our country is in a bad place should quit lamenting and try to do whatever they can do.

“All hands must be on deck all over the country because there is hardly any save haven in any part of this country today.

“I believe that one thing that is critical of RNP is to create the kind of awareness for each reason you’re here, massive mobilisation which will translate to involvement in the political process.

“In the last elections, out of 82.5 million registered voters, only 35% of that number came out to vote for the current president.

“And if you were to really investigate why it was the case, it is on account of the apathy that people have. It is on account of the hopelessness and dissolution that people have that no matter what people have that in any case the political class will have its way.

“We need credible leaders who have character, leaders who genuinely love our country, leaders who are not clannish, leaders who have large heart enough to mobilise and select the right team of people to make a difference.

“It has happened at various times in our country and I believe it is possible to do so again.”

Meanwhile, RNP National Coordinator, Usman Magaji, noted that the group would adopt a credible political party before next year’s plebiscite.

According to him, “RNP is not an NGO or pressure group, RNP is going to adopt a political party among the existing registered political parties.

“We are going to create that alternative political platform which provides an opportunity for the most competent, more credible candidates who have a genuine passion to fix this broken country and its many broken societies.”

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