At the 6th annual Freedom Online lecture in Lagos, prominent figures, including Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, former Ogun State Governor Senator Gbenga Daniel, and Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland Gani Adams, pointed to both leadership and citizen responsibility as roots of Nigeria’s enduring socio-political challenges.
Themed ‘Nigeria’s Socio-Political Challenges: Whose Fault, Leaders or the Led?’, the event at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, saw speakers dissecting the nation’s governance issues.
Represented by former Rivers Deputy Governor Tele Ikuru, Governor Fubara highlighted the need for accountable leadership and active citizen participation, criticizing weak institutions like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for governance failures.
“Institutions should act as checks and balances, but political influence often undermines them. INEC’s failure to uphold the law on political defections is a prime example,” he said.
Aare Gani Adams condemned leaders’ “nonchalant attitude” toward governance, calling for electoral reforms and the removal of INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu to restore faith in Nigeria’s democracy.
Former Ogun Governor Senator Gbenga Daniel underscored leadership as the crux of Nigeria’s problems, urging local solutions and education as key to national development.
The event’s chairman, PDP chieftain Olabode George, defended former military president Ibrahim Babangida, arguing that Nigeria’s troubles predate the June 12 annulment, tracing issues back to the 1962 crisis.
The lecture reinforced a call for both leaders and the public to take responsibility in reshaping Nigeria’s socio-political landscape.
