Former President Goodluck Jonathan says Nigeria cannot make meaningful progress until it abandons what he calls “primitive” methods of selecting political leaders. Speaking at the Herbert Macaulay Colloquium in Lagos, he warns that leadership recruitment driven by religion, ethnicity, language and similar narrow considerations undermines development, institutional strength and national aspirations.
The event marks Herbert Macaulay’s 162nd birthday and is described as part of a broader “Nationalism and Nation Building” programme. Reports say Jonathan links the issue to reforms not only in political leadership recruitment, but also in democratic processes and education. He argues that the founding nationalists’ vision was broader than transferring power, emphasising sovereignty, equal rights and opportunities for all citizens.
Vanguard and other outlets frame Jonathan’s comments as a call to end competence-starved leadership practices, while Nigerian Eye and Daily Post highlight the same central warning and broaden the list of related obstacles, including corruption, weak institutions, inconsistent policies, inadequate infrastructure and insecurity.
