Matthew Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, has expressed that nearly all Nigerian presidents assumed office without adequate preparation for leadership.
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday during the fourth Amaka Ndoma-Egba memorial lecture titled “Leaders of Tomorrow: Creating Lasting Change in a Complex World,” Kukah highlighted the challenges of governance in Nigeria and the recurring lack of readiness among its leaders.
The Bishop specifically referenced President Bola Tinubu, noting that despite claiming to have prepared for leadership, he appears to be struggling to steer the country.
“If we look at Nigeria’s leadership journey, you will find that almost every leader who came to power did so by accident,” Kukah said.
He outlined a sequence of Nigerian presidents to illustrate his point:
President Tinubu succeeded Muhammadu Buhari, who he described as “disengaged from governance.”
Buhari followed Goodluck Jonathan, a leader who, according to Kukah, never envisioned becoming president but was propelled into office by circumstances.
Jonathan took over from Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who reportedly planned to return to teaching after serving as governor.
Yar’Adua succeeded Olusegun Obasanjo, who was released from prison unexpectedly to lead the country.
Before Obasanjo, Sani Abacha, who aimed to rule indefinitely, was stopped only by “nature’s intervention.”
Abacha followed Ernest Shonekan, a business executive unexpectedly drafted into leadership.
Kukah emphasized that the recurring issue among these leaders is a lack of preparation and adequate knowledge to govern effectively. “The cycle is evident, and the missing link in all of this is knowledge and preparation,” he concluded.
