ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on Saturday declared that Nigeria has veered dangerously off course, warning that the country now urgently requires a national rescue driven by honest leadership, responsible governance and unity of purpose.
Tambuwal spoke at a leadership colloquium held to commemorate his 60th birthday, an event that drew together an array of prominent political figures cutting across party lines, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, and several other political and civic leaders.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic journey since the return to civil rule in 1999, Tambuwal said the country’s current condition represents a painful departure from the hopes and expectations that accompanied the restoration of democracy, insisting that recovery can only begin when Nigerians confront governance failures honestly.
He said, “Where we are today is unfortunate. This is not where we expected to be.”
According to him, even the architects of Nigeria’s democracy are deeply dissatisfied with the present state of affairs.
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“Those who laid the foundation for this democracy, some of whom are alive, many of whom are no longer living, are not happy, even in their graves, with the current situation in Nigeria,” Tambuwal stated.
He cautioned that national renewal must rise above personal ambition, ethnic sentiment and partisan considerations, warning that certain political practices continue to weaken institutions and undermine democratic consolidation.
“It is about the people of this country. It is about good governance. It is not about me. It is not about money-making,” he stated.
Tambuwal further criticised the culture of political succession that prioritises personal loyalty over competence.
“We must end the tendency where people gain access to public office only to impose successors who are worse than themselves,” he warned.
Describing the country’s situation as dire, he stressed that national salvation must be a collective undertaking.
“Nigeria is in peril, and we are searching for salvation. And that salvation is a collective process.
“We are citizens of this country. We have nowhere else to go. We must remain in Nigeria and ensure that we do the right thing so that we can have the right leadership,” he added.
Tambuwal also declared his willingness to take greater personal risks in defence of democracy and national renewal.
“At this point in my life, I must recommit myself to what I have always believed in. I recommit myself to working with every Nigerian who believes in good democratic governance and in turning this country around,” he said.