A politician and former presidential candidate of the defunct African Renaissance Party, Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, has raised alarm over Nigeria’s trajectory, describing the country as a “failed state” grappling with deep-rooted challenges across all sectors.
In a statement issued on Friday in Enugu, Ndu criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress and major opposition parties for what he described as a lack of ideology and focus on governance. According to him, political actors are more concerned with strategising for the 2027 elections than addressing pressing national issues such as insecurity and economic hardship.
Ndu, who pioneered Nigeria’s first presidential debate in 1992, challenged President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to engage in a comprehensive, solution-driven debate on the nation’s future.
He lamented that the country’s political space is dominated by election-driven conversations rather than governance, insisting that over 90 per cent of politicians are focused solely on winning power.
“So far, all the so-called conventions of opposition political parties in Nigeria are about how to win elections and defeat the APC, rather than
how to govern effectively,” he said, criticising both ruling and opposition blocs.Describing ongoing public discourse around a potential second term for President Tinubu as “shameful,” Ndu said such debates distract from the country’s “multifaceted challenges,” including insecurity and economic instability.
To refocus national engagement, Ndu proposed the establishment of an “Ernest Ikoli Memorial Presidential Debate,” in honour of late nationalist Ernest Ikoli, whom he noted has not been adequately immortalised.
He extended his call for debate to other political figures, including former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, stressing that national dialogue must centre on practical solutions, particularly to insecurity.
Ndu further urged key institutions and socio-cultural organisations such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Nigerian Bar Association, Christian Association of Nigeria, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum and PANDEF to jointly organise a national debate platform.
Warning of wider implications, Ndu cautioned that Nigeria’s failure could have far-reaching consequences for Africa, insisting that urgent steps must be taken to prevent national collapse.
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