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Senator Ali Ndume has challenged Nigerians to accept part of the responsibility for the quality of political leadership in the country.
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Ndume said citizens cannot place the entire blame for poor governance, insecurity and political failures on politicians, insisting that voters also have a responsibility to scrutinise candidates.
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The Borno South senator made the remarks in response to Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II’s criticism of the political class, particularly the politicisation of ethnicity and religion.
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Ndume also warned that electoral malpractice cannot be blamed solely on politicians, saying Nigerians themselves participate in processes that produce leaders and must therefore demand greater accountability while becoming more involved in politics.
September 17, (THEWILL) – The Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has told Nigerians to accept part of the blame for the poor leadership and governance they routinely complain about, arguing that politicians are products of the society from which they emerge.
Ndume said citizens could not completely absolve themselves of responsibility for the country’s political and governance challenges because they play a central role in determining who occupies elective offices.
The senator spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during the public presentation of Military Transformational Leadership in Action: The Buratai Era, a book documenting the leadership, reforms and security challenges associated with the tenure of former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai (retd.).
The event was held at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre and Suites, Asokoro, Abuja.
The book, authored by Dr M.S. Abubakar, examines Buratai’s tenure as Army chief between 2015 and 2021, including military reforms, troop welfare, training, equipment and counter-insurgency operations.
Ndume’s remarks came after the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, criticised the political class for exploiting ethnic and religious identities and linked such practices to some of the conditions that have contributed to Nigeria’s security and governance problems.
Sanusi had argued at the same event that Nigeria’s security crisis did not begin with Boko Haram, banditry or other forms of violence, but had deeper roots in divisive political rhetoric that increasingly categorised Nigerians along ethnic, regional and religious lines.
Responding to the broader criticism of politicians, Ndume said Nigerians should look beyond the political class and examine their own role in producing the leaders they complain about.
“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 in, and I’m proud of it,” he said.
‘Politics Is About People’
Ndume said the concept of democracy made it impossible to separate citizens from the outcomes of the political process.
According to him, politicians ultimately emerge from the electorate and wider society, making citizens stakeholders in the quality of leadership that emerges from elections.
“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 argued that Nigerians must therefore become more conscious of their role in determining political leadership, particularly during elections.
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Ndume also extended the responsibility to electoral malpractice, saying citizens should not blame politicians alone for rigging when members of the public can also participate in, facilitate, or tolerate such practices.
“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.
His comments placed the issue of leadership beyond the conduct of elected officials, pointing instead to the wider political culture, electoral choices and public participation that shape Nigeria’s democratic system.
‘You Put Garbage In, Expect Something Good Out?’
The senator further challenged Nigerians to examine the quality of candidates they support and the methods through which political leaders emerge.
He maintained that expectations of good governance must be matched by responsible participation in the political process.
“You put garbage in, you expect something good out of it? It’s not possible,” Ndume said.
He also referred to what he described as a principle that the character of leaders is connected to that of the society from which they 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,” he said.
The Borno senator also used his personal experience in public life to illustrate the changes that political involvement had brought into his life. He said he had never visited a police station before entering politics but had subsequently been imprisoned twice.
“I was a Senate leader, I was a chief whip recently, I went to prison twice. Before I came into politics, I’ve never gone to a police station,” Ndume said.
Ndume, who has served in the National Assembly for several years and held leadership positions in the Senate, urged Nigerians to take a more active interest in political affairs rather than limiting their involvement to complaints about those already in office.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
