As a proud Nigerian who believes in this nation’s greatness, I am often astonished when some northern political leaders lament against President Tinubu while clamoring for yet another northern presidency in 2027. This demand comes so soon after Buhari’s eight years in power, a period during which opportunistic politicians exploited an ailing leader and squandered Nigeria’s wealth. To insist on reclaiming the presidency for the north in 2027 is, to say the least, suffocating.
Despite the shamelessness of such egocentric calls, well known to Nigerians, we must insist that the choice of our next president be guided not by region or religion but by competence, vision, and integrity. If another Yar’Adua were to emerge, a man of principle and decency, Nigeria would indeed be blessed. Today, glimpses of that spirit can be found in two southern leaders who have distinguished themselves through discipline, transparency, and fiscal responsibility. Both leaders have demonstrated how public resources can be effectively managed for the benefit of the people. Other governors are likewise showing signs of leadership potential, and with the proper support, they too could rise to the occasion.
If leaders of such caliber were entrusted with national office, Nigeria could finally begin to harness its vast potential. Around the world, Nigerians are excelling as innovators, entrepreneurs, and professionals. What holds us back at home is not a shortage of talent but the absence of infrastructure and visionary leadership. The most urgent foundation for progress remains electricity. Clean, reliable energy would allow citizens to fulfill their aspirations, industries to thrive, and ideas to transform into realities. Innovators, especially those from the Ogbunigwe lineage, are still alive, waiting for an enabling environment to unleash their technological creativity.
Nigeria must be led by individuals who prioritize production over consumption, who see themselves first as citizens of the Federal Republic, not as champions of their ethnic group. Once Nigerians embrace this shared identity, corruption and theft will diminish. A president who creates jobs and accepts fiscal responsibility without unduly burdening the young would propel Nigeria toward its highest peak.
Yet all of this is impossible if insecurity persists. It is unacceptable that bandits and terrorists roam freely, wielding weapons, seizing territories, and even attacking soldiers in their own barracks. Only in a failed state do criminals become landlords of the nation. I find it deeply troubling that terrorists control swathes of the north and other regions with such ease. Nigeria urgently needs decisive action to halt insecurity, deploy the military effectively, and restore safety across the federation.
The first duty of any sovereign state is to protect its citizens. A government that fails to guarantee security forfeits its legitimacy. Nigeria’s security challenges are rooted in political miscalculations: the same APC machine that toppled Goodluck Jonathan also produced the current leadership. At the same time, the tacit tolerance of armed groups allowed them to thrive. Once entrenched, terrorists rarely disappear; they adapt, radicalize, and extort ransoms to sustain themselves. At this stage, deradicalization programs are unlikely to succeed.
This is why Nigeria needs a younger, uncompromised leader, someone like Peter Obi, who embodies competence, integrity, and courage. With a dedicated team of Nigerian reformers, such leadership could finally break the cycle of insecurity and misrule. It is possible. It is necessary. And it is the only path forward if Nigeria is to rise to its rightful greatness.
As Chinua Achebe reminded us in The Trouble with Nigeria (1983), “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” Four decades later, that observation remains painfully true. Wole Soyinka has similarly warned that Nigeria cannot continue to recycle the same failed elites while expecting different results. And more recently, Oby Ezekwesili has emphasized that only leaders with character, competence, and capacity can rescue Nigeria from its destructive cycles. These voices echo the same message: leadership, not geography, will determine our destiny.
Any terrorism expert knows that insurgents thrive only when they perceive weakness in the state. When the state asserts strength, terrorists are forced to retreat. The mayhem inflicted by terror networks in Nigeria is agonizing, and the contrast with our past is stark. In the late 1970s, during my school years, we could ride the train from Lagos to Kano on an enjoyable holiday trip. Today, that journey would be a death trap.
Meanwhile, food is scarce, fuel prices are crippling, and the youth, without meaningful employment, have become an endangered generation. Such conditions are ripe for radicalization, fueling the very insecurity that drains our economy and erodes trust in government. It must also be underscored that the violence meted out in the north may still have the tacit approval of certain elites, as was evident during Jonathan’s administration. But Tinubu is not Jonathan. If northern elites truly wish to remain relevant, they must extend their hands toward humanity rather than engaging in power politics.
Nigeria stands at a crossroads. We can either succumb to the same old story, or we can demand the leadership this nation deserves: leadership rooted in competence, unity, and the courage to confront our deepest challenges. The time has come for Nigerians to emphatically reject recycled politics by violence, and affirmatively say no to dogmatic suffocation. 2027 must not be about north or south, Christian or Muslim. It must be about Nigeria. And only when we choose leaders on that basis will this nation finally breathe freely.
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■ Dr. Onwudiwe, a Professor of Criminology at Texas Southern University, is on the EDITORIAL BOARD of the WAP
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