Bishop Kukah slams leadership preparedness in Nigeria, Presidency defends Tinubu

The Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, has criticized Nigeria’s leadership history, describing President Bola Tinubu, former President Muhammadu Buhari, and many past leaders as products of an “accidental leadership cycle.”

Speaking in Abuja during the commissioning of the new Start-Rite School building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture, Kukah argued that several Nigerian leaders assumed power without adequate preparation, especially in a world with increasingly complex governance demands.

The Presidency, however, countered Kukah’s remarks, asserting that President Tinubu should not be categorized as an accidental leader. It emphasized that Tinubu was well-prepared for the presidency and has demonstrated readiness for the role.

Bishop Kukah’s critique underscored a recurring pattern of unpreparedness in Nigeria’s leadership, a theme he linked to the country’s struggles with effective governance and development.

He said: “If we look at Nigeria’s leadership journey, you will find that almost every leader who came to power did so by accident”.

“President Bola 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.”

He argued that while Nigeria has embraced democratic principles like “one man, one vote,” its democratic process has repeatedly failed to deliver competent leadership.

He stressed that modern leadership requires a deep understanding of the evolving environment and challenges.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, emphasized the need to cultivate leadership qualities early in life.

He attributed many of Nigeria’s challenges to failures in leadership and accountability.
Marwa also shed light on a disturbing trend within the drug trade, revealing the involvement of visually impaired individuals in trafficking illicit substances.

“Recently, the NDLEA uncovered a cartel involving visually impaired individuals,” Marwa disclosed.

“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.”

While Marwa refrained from sharing additional details about the cartel’s operations, he acknowledged the unique challenges posed by such cases.

The NDLEA boss also paid tribute to Senator Ndoma-Egba, Chairman of the Board of Advisory for Start-Rite School, for organizing the lecture in honour of his late wife, Amaka Ndoma-Egba.

“Amaka Ndoma-Egba was a visionary who established this school to prepare students for a dynamic and ever-changing world,” Marwa said.

Founded in 2008 with just seven pupils, Start-Rite School has grown into a leading institution in Abuja, now serving over 800 students across nursery, primary, and secondary levels.

The event emphasized the need for a renewed focus on leadership development and education to address Nigeria’s governance challenges and societal issues.

Tinubu is a reformer, not accidental leader —Presidency

Reacting to the assertion by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, the Presidency described Tinubu as a reformer, who is touching many areas.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said: “He (Tinubu) is not an accidental leader, he is doing his best to ensure that we have a turn around in this country.

“Does he look like one at all? What I am saying is that, the man is not an accidental leader, he was prepared for this office. He even said it himself that he prepared for it and that he is doing his best to ensure that this country is lifted higher than he met it, he is doing his best.

“Because he prepared himself for the office, he is doing a lot of reform, he is touching every area and he is trying to make sure that this country is being turn-around.”

For those who said that the President is an accidental leader, that is the reason he is struggling, Onanuga said: “Tinubu has shown that he is a reformer and reforms are not done in quick fixes, it takes time for you to turn things around and he is doing it.

“He is doing reforms and he is the first to acknowledge that people will be affected and he is doing everything possible to ensure that those who are affected are also helped so that they will not be left behind.

“He is reforming a lot of things in Nigeria, you are talking about taxation, you are talking about the oil sector, so many reforms the man is carrying out,” he added.