By Abbas Jimoh
The African Institute for Statecraft International (AISI) was on Wednesday formally launched in Abuja where stakeholders called for Nigeria to reinvent its political leadership and democratic governance to tackle the myriads of challenges facing the country.
The event which also witnessed the inaugural lecture of the AISI with the theme, “Reinventing Political Leadership and Democratic Governance”, brought together diverse political thinkers, party leaders, scholars, policy scientists, and advocates for democratic renewal from across the country.
The host and Chief Executive Officer of AISI, Adai Edwin Adai, was commended by participants for establishing the institute as a platform to nurture new thinking around governance and leadership.
Speaking at the event Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Damagum, represented by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ibrahim Abdullahi, said Nigeria’s leadership failure had left citizens in a state of national shock, comparable to being betrayed by a lover who promised everything but delivered nothing.
He lamented that governance in the country had deteriorated since 2015, with Nigerians paying the price for poor leadership recruitment, lack of preparation, and the absence of capacity building in the public service.
“Our civil service alone numbers close to five million personnel across federal and state levels, yet most have not received any form of retraining since employment. How then can they drive responsive governance in a 21st-century economy? The president or governor cannot do everything. The burden of execution lies at the lower levels, and when unprepared, failure is inevitable,” Damagum said.
He said that political leadership must be understood beyond presidents, governors, or party leaders, noting that institutional capacity and disciplined governance structures were the bedrock of democratic development.
He also said that the party, which he described as the “only political institution consistently committed to democracy in Nigeria,” was determined to reclaim power in 2027 and restore hope to citizens. He reminded participants of a time when the basics of life were affordable and urged Nigerians to rally behind AISI’s vision of nurturing a new generation of leaders through research, training, and policy innovation.
He said, “Institutions like the African Institute for Statecraft International challenge us to refine our policies, strengthen democracy, and reimagine leadership not as privilege, but responsibility.”
Also, Chief Olabode George, who was the chairman of the occasion, represented by Hon. Dare Adeleke, PDP Chairman in Ekiti State, warned against what he described as personality-driven governance that sidelines principles of equity, accountability, and discipline.
“We now have the culture of sycophancy that has replaced serious policy debate in Nigeria’s politics. When leaders borrow trillions without accountability and citizens choose to celebrate personalities rather than interrogate governance failures, the nation drifts into systematic destruction,” George said.
He insisted that Nigeria’s democracy could only be redeemed if citizens embraced discipline, demanded accountability, and refused to normalise failure.
He said, “America did not become a world leader overnight; it was discipline. Until we restore discipline in governance and society, we cannot move forward.”
On his part, PDP chieftain and political analyst, Chief Segun Sowunmi, warned that Nigeria’s democracy was facing an existential crisis. He expressed concern over dwindling voter participation, rising ethnic division, and a population explosion that, if unchecked, could overwhelm governance structures within a generation.
He said, “In 2023, 93 million Nigerians registered to vote, but less than 25 million participated. That is a crisis of confidence. Citizens have lost faith in the process because elections have become violent, manipulated, and unworthy of their trust. Why would any decent citizen risk being macheted just to cast a ballot?”
