Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has raised alarm over the state of Nigeria, warning that the country is in its deepest crisis since its amalgamation in 1914.
Speaking in Abuja on Saturday at a public lecture themed “Weaponisation of Poverty as a Means of Underdevelopment: A Case Study of Nigeria,” El-Rufai lamented the repeated failure of Nigerians to elect competent leaders. The event was part of the 60th birthday celebration of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
“We are in Nigeria’s worst moment since 1914. The country is completely off track,” El-Rufai declared. “And we are now conspiring to build a coalition that can restore it to the right path.”
He blamed the current situation on the rise of what he termed “urban bandits” — not criminals in the bush, but corrupt and self-serving individuals occupying positions of power.
“It’s not the bandits hiding in forests that trouble me the most. It’s the urban bandits – those in government and leadership roles. These are the people who have captured the country,” he said.
El-Rufai criticized the pattern of electing unqualified leaders. “We keep making the mistake of handing power to people who don’t have the competence or vision to govern. They know how to grab power, but they have no clue what to do with it.”
He urged Nigerians to break the cycle by electing leaders with the right qualities: “Competence, capability, capacity, and commitment — that’s what we must look for if we are serious about moving this country forward.”
