From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Ahead of next year’s general polls, Executive Director of Africa Polling Institute (API), Professor Bell Ihua, has said Nigerians desperately need credible and competent leaders.
Professor Ihua, who stated this during an interview with newsmen, recently in Abuja, however, noted that religion and ethnicity play crucial role in politics.
“Incidentally, I ran a poll along this line last year and there are some qualities that Nigerians would be looking for in the next leader of the country.
“To start with, Nigerians want a credible election, where their votes will count, and they can cast those votes without fear or intimidation.
“Nigerians want a credible and competent leader, who is God-fearing, kind-hearted, and can tackle insecurity head-on.
“These were the top qualities I can remember. In other words, Nigerians are looking for a leader who knows that we can be much better than we are today as a country, and is willing to work with his or her team to lay the vision to make this country great again, one that every citizen would be proud of and glad to contribute their quota to her development.
“From my experience, I believe religion and ethnicity would play a role in the elections. Unfortunately, that is where we currently are as a nation.
“Religion and ethnicity have become intertwined into our politics; so, much as anyone would talk about the credentials and qualities of an incoming leader when the chips are down, religion and ethnicity would still play a role.
“However, this is not to despair because credible and competent candidates can be found from across the major religious affiliations and ethnic groupings in the country. So, it behoves on the political parties to put their best foot forward,” he said.
Speaking on a Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket, he said “I can tell you it is dead on arrival. Any politician who speaks this way either lacks understanding of the current socio-political interplay in the country or is simply wicked and mischievous.
“You must understand that the Nigeria of 2022 isn’t the same Nigeria of 1993. Events have occurred, the tides have changed, politicians have not helped matters, there has been a deepening of the fault lines over the last 20 to 23 years.
“This country is much more divided today compare to 1993 than you can imagine, and the dynamics are different. Data from our social cohesion survey provides evidence to substantiate this.
“In 2019, 45 percent of Nigerians said the country was more divided than the preceding 4 years. But by 2021 that proportion had jumped up to 65 percent of Nigerians who thought that the country was much more divided.
“So, for anybody to tell you that the same religion ticket will work in Nigeria at a time like this is simply living in wonderland. He or she is not on ground.”

Related News