Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has declared that Nigeria is facing its most severe crisis since amalgamation in 1914, claiming that "urban bandits" have taken over leadership positions in the country.
El-Rufai made these remarks on Saturday in Abuja while delivering a goodwill message at a public lecture organized to commemorate the 60th birthday celebration of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi. The event was themed 'Weaponisation of poverty as a means of underdevelopment: A case study of Nigeria'.
"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," El-Rufai stated.
The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) distinguished between rural bandits and what he termed "urban bandits" in leadership positions, suggesting that the latter pose a greater threat to national development.
Leadership Crisis
El-Rufai criticized Nigerians for repeatedly electing incompetent individuals to positions of power, saying: "It has turned to this level because we have allowed bandits, not the ones in the bushes, but the ones in the urban area, called the urban bandits, to take over leadership."
He further lamented that many elected officials lack the necessary skills to govern effectively. "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," he added.
The former governor called on Nigerians to be more discerning in their choice of leaders, emphasizing the need to elect individuals with "competence, capability, capacity and commitment" to move the country forward.
Coalition Building
El-Rufai's comments come amid reports of political realignments ahead of future elections. His reference to "working and conspiring to build a coalition" suggests ongoing efforts to form new political alliances to challenge the current leadership structure.
The event, which honored Amaechi's contributions to Nigerian politics, brought together various political figures at a time when discussions about Nigeria's leadership direction continue to dominate public discourse.
