By Muhammad Sani Uba
Former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Muhammad Jega, has declared that Nigeria cannot achieve good governance without visionary, competent, and democratically-minded leaders committed to serving the public interest.
Delivering a lecture at the Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, the political science scholar from Bayero University, Kano, on Thursday, argued that good governance goes far beyond the technocratic approach promoted by global financial institutions.
Presenting a paper titled “Elections and Good Governance in Nigeria,” Jega said true democratic governance requires transparency, accountability, inclusiveness, citizen participation, equity, justice, and evidence-based policy making.
He warned that Nigeria’s governance system has been weakened by leadership failures, corruption, poor institutional capacity, and the capture of public offices by powerful elites who do not prioritize national development.
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“The absence of ethical, competent and selfless leadership continues to undermine our democratic progress,” he said. “A country cannot experience democratic development when leaders lack integrity, ignore the rule of law, and operate unaccountably.”
Jega stressed that leaders produced through flawed elections lack legitimacy and struggle to deliver good governance. He called for deep reforms that ensure credible elections capable of producing leaders who are prepared to govern effectively and responsibly.
He urged political elites, universities, civil society, and citizens to work together to strengthen the foundations of democratic governance in Nigeria.
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