Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, says Nigerian citizens are responsible for the irresponsible leaders they complain about.
Ndume spoke on Wednesday, September 16, at the public presentation of ‘Military Transformational Leadership in Action: The Buratai Era’.
The event held at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre and Suites, Asokoro, Abuja.
He was responding to remarks by Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, who had criticised the political class over the politicisation of ethnicity and religion and their role in Nigeria’s security and governance challenges.
Ndume stated that placing the blame entirely on politicians ignores the role citizens play in determining leaders.
“Every blame is on the politician. And I’m a politician, though accidental, or maybe, forced or recruited into it. But I’m a realist. I live with the situation I find myself, and I’m proud of it,” he said.
Ndume said citizens must accept their responsibility in the democratic process because politicians emerge from the people.
“Politics is people; politics is one way to run democracy, and what is democracy? It’s the government of the people, for the people, and by the people. From all discussions, now the blame goes down to us, and we are your product,” he said.
He went on to state that even if the wrong leaders are rigged in, citizens allowed it to happen.
“And by the way, you are to be blamed because even if it is through rigging, it is you people that do the rigging to bring us in. So, if you put us here, we are doing your bidding,” he said.
The senator said Nigerians should examine the quality of people they support and the political processes through which leaders emerge.
“And God says that he does not bring leaders different from the followers. I think part of this is something that we look at very well, so that you make sure that we have democracy, and when we have democracy, we would have good governance,” Ndume said.
The lawmaker added that Nigerians should become more involved in the political process if they want better governance.
“You put garbage in, you expect something good out of it? It’s not possible,” he said.