Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement, APM, Seyi Makinde, has slammed past and present leaders of Nigeria, saying they lack ideas on what to do with the country’s abundant natural and human resources.
Faulting Nigeria’s quality of leaders, Makinde said the country has yet to fully harness its potential because of a lack of innovative ideas and effective leadership.
The Oyo State governor said this on Wednesday in Abuja at the unveiling of his manifesto.
“Nigeria has the resources and the capacity to achieve greatness. Nigeria is rich in natural resources and human resources, but our leaders are poor in ideas,” he said.
“Our simple proposition is that government must make life easier for the people. That is all. Nigeria needs a leadership that works.
“The narrative of projecting Nigeria as being poor, I disagree.”
The APM standard-bearer also called for greater government accountability, saying every political promise must be tied to a responsible institution, a delivery plan, and measurable outcomes that citizens can independently verify.
Makinde demanded stronger national institutions to bridge the political gaps in the country and reconcile differences, warning that conflicts must not undermine national development.
Makinde, again, criticised the federal government for shifting its responsibilities to states, especially over the country’s persistent power sector challenges, asking Nigerians to hold the government accountable for its promises.
On Nigeria’s Electoral Act, the Oyo governor said the current policy, as it is, has the potential to produce presidents without sufficient support from most Nigerians and could create opportunities for compromises that undermine democratic institutions.
The APM candidate urged Nigerians to study his party’s manifesto, challenge existing assumptions and join him in pursuing a new political and economic order that delivers meaningful results.