A renowned Professor of Public Administration, Prof Ladipo Adamolekun, on Wednesday, said former military leaders cannot be good democrats.
He therefore urged political leaders to stop presenting them as for elective positions.
Adamolekun spoke in Akure the Ondo State capital, during his 80th birthday and presentation of his latest monograph titled, “Nigeria and I: Getting politics right to make Nigeria work.”
He said Nigeria needed a development-oriented political leader who would be committed to the change of government for better.
He said such leader should be someone under whose watch the country could begin to record steady progress in growing the economy, reducing poverty, ensuring security, and moving towards prosperity for all the citizens.
Adamolekun said, “Whilst maintenance of the good practice of producing political leaders through the ballot box must be maintained, political parties should, henceforth, agree not to adopt former military leaders as party leaders or as presidential/governorship candidates.
“The two recycled military leaders who have served as presidents during the post-1999 era have demonstrated clearly that military culture trumps democratic culture; a ‘civilianised’ Nigerian military leader cannot be a democrat.”
In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion and the General Manager/Editor-in-chief, Vanguard Media Limited, Mr Gbenga Adefaye, said the celebrator was not despondent about Nigeria, expressing dismay that the nation was not listening to voice of reasoning and wisdom from the intellects and academics to push the nation to higher height.
Contact: theeditor[at]punchng.com
