The Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, shared his thoughts on the leadership of President Bola Tinubu and former President Muhammadu Buhari. He described their tenure as products of an “accidental leadership cycle.”

During the commissioning of the Start-Rite School building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja, Bishop Kukah stated that there is a continuous lack of knowledge and preparation among the leaders.

He stated, “If we look at Nigeria’s leadership journey, you will find that almost every leader who came to power did so by accident. President Bola Tinubu, despite claiming to be prepared for the role, is clearly struggling. We are still trying to find our footing. He took over from Buhari, who had already disengaged from governance.

“Buhari succeeded Jonathan, a man who never envisioned himself as president but was thrust into leadership due to circumstances. Jonathan took over from Yar’Adua, who planned to return to teaching after his governorship. Yar’Adua succeeded Obasanjo, who was unexpectedly released from prison to become president. Before that, Obasanjo replaced Abacha, who was poised to rule indefinitely until nature intervened. Abacha followed Shonekan, a business executive abruptly drafted to lead the country. The cycle is evident, and the missing link in all of this is knowledge and preparation.”

In addition, Kukah pointed out that although Nigeria has implemented the “one man, one vote,” its democratic processes continue to fail to deliver competent leadership. He hinted that for the country to succeed, there is a need for deep understanding of evolving challenges and environments.

The presidency opposed Bishop Kukah’s remarks about President Tinubu’s leadership. Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, called Tinubu a reformer dedicated to turning the country around.

Onanuga stated, “He (Tinubu) is not an accidental leader; he is doing his best to ensure that we have a turnaround in this country. Does he look like one at all? What I am saying is that the man is not an accidental leader; he was prepared for this office. He even said it himself that he prepared for it and that he is doing his best to ensure that this country is lifted higher than he met it.”

He added, “Because he prepared himself for the office, he is doing a lot of reform. He is touching every area and trying to ensure this country is turned around. Reforms are not done in quick fixes; it takes time to turn things around, and he is doing it. He is reforming a lot of things in Nigeria — taxation, the oil sector, so many reforms.”