Archbishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah, has provided some insight on the kind of leaders that Nigerians should elect as their country’s future president.
Kukah argued that Nigerians should stop casting their votes based on political, religious, or ethnic sentiments, rather they should choose candidates who can successfully address the nation’s ongoing problems.
Although the front-runner candidates are all qualified to lead the nation, Kukah, who provided the insight during an interview on Arise TV on Friday, insisted that it was crucial for Nigerians to see through them and make an informed decision.
The cleric declared that Nigerians must put the rhetorical age behind them, adding that, before making a decision, the public must sift through and question the presidential candidates about their philosophy, goals, and administration style.
“The people must interrogate their (presidential candidates) ability and capacity to govern by sheer brain and not bribe. The point is that even the whole idea of leadership is often exaggerated because we are confusing political officeholders with leaders.
“It is only in Nigeria that there is so much focus on the centre. Society can only grow when we extend the frontiers of knowledge and opportunities.
“Critical to all of these, we are looking for a president that has the understanding of the complexity of what is wrong with Nigeria. It is not just about people just aspiring without an understanding of the issues.
“My argument is that anybody who aspires to rule Nigeria and we have the opportunity to, we (Nigerians) must redesign the template of confrontation and you (presidential candidate) must be able to confront Nigerians and answer their questions.â€
