Professor Anthony Kila, Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, has criticised the quality of leadership within Nigerian political parties, saying too many members are not worthy of being called leaders.
Speaking on ARISE News on Wednesday, Kila said:
“There are too many people in political parties who are not worthy of being called leaders.”
He explained that Nigerian parties operate a vertical system, where a few individuals control power while ordinary members remain dependent and sidelined:
“Nigerian political parties are not associations of equals. They are associations where a few people control everything, and others depend on them.”
Commenting on the recent wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Kila argued that these moves are motivated by personal interest rather than the welfare of citizens:
“The reason why they leave party to the other has nothing to do with the benefit of citizens. The reason why they want to change and they are negotiating has little to do with the condition of a citizen. It has very little to do with some kind of ideas, let alone ideologies.”
He further criticised party agreements and the manipulation of primary elections, saying:
“If they discussed it and they gave them hints, or they assured them that they would get their ticket, and they didn’t pull away that assurance or agreement from them, it would tell you that the people in the APC are a group of people who do not keep to agreement, who really cannot be trusted.”
Highlighting the lack of internal democracy in Nigerian parties, Kila said:
“I think the system that we run in Nigeria is a system that has little regard, little structure for internal democracy. We run a vertical system.”
He also warned that politicians often prioritise their personal survival and power over the interests of citizens:
“I have very little regard for people who leave a position and join the governing party. In my mind, they lack character, they lack vision, and they lack stamina. That allows me to say it’s unacceptable nonsense to argue that you must join the centre to govern your state well.”
Kila concluded by pointing out the insincerity within political clubs and the manipulative nature of the APC:
“But it shows us again how insincere our political clubs are. They say everything and do it their own way, and it’s very sad for the country.”
“The APC and the people in power want to eat their cake and have it. They want to keep everyone and so they are forced to play these kinds of games.”
According to Kila, the combined effect of weak internal democracy, self-interest, and manipulative politics undermines the leadership potential of Nigerian political parties and leaves citizens without real influence in governance.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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