 |
| The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) |
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has declared that Nigeria’s politics lacks standards primarily because citizens do not consistently demand accountability from those in power.
Professor Tukur Mohammed Baba, the Publicity Secretary of the Forum, made the assertion on Tuesday while speaking in an interview on Arise Television. He argued that the absence of firm standards has allowed politics and laws in the country to remain overly flexible, enabling individuals with questionable credentials to rise through the system.
“There is no standard in Nigeria’s politics because we do not demand accountability. Our politics and laws are always flexible. If you look at the country, no institution is going straight, including the judiciary,” Baba stated.
He noted that people have filtered into positions of authority with fake credentials, describing this as a reflection of the nature of Nigerian politics. According to him, both political actors and the wider society have been flexible in their demands for good governance and accountability, creating an environment where integrity is often compromised.
Baba observed that the Nigerian electorate is not a uniform or formless group with identical interests. Instead, it is divided into various sections. He said the average person on the street is often more focused on the practical outcomes of governance than on abstract debates about leaders’ qualifications.
“What matters to them is the effect of good governance. At the end of the day, is the person on top able to deliver good governance that satisfies welfare, health, education, housing, transportation, and so on?” he asked.
The ACF spokesman expressed the view that the vast majority of the population is more concerned about how governance affects their everyday lives than about the formal credentials of those in power. He added that the governance of Nigeria over the last four years has had a largely negative impact on citizens, despite any positive micro-level statistics that may be presented by authorities.
In related comments during the same interview, Baba emphasised that politicians seeking to lead the country in the 2027 general elections must be prepared to account for their educational backgrounds, personal histories and overall integrity. He stressed that scrutiny should go beyond the mere possession of certificates to include the consistency and credibility of candidates’ life stories.
“The certificate is not as important as the story itself. It has to be straight. It has to be consistent. If it is not, there is a problem,” he said.
Baba contrasted Nigeria’s leadership selection process with systems in other countries, such as China, where aspiring leaders typically rise through structured stages over many years. He argued that Nigeria’s approach often lacks such rigorous accountability, largely because citizens and political institutions do not consistently insist on high standards.
The remarks from the Arewa Consultative Forum, a prominent northern socio-political organisation, come at a time of heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 elections. They highlight ongoing public debates about the quality of leadership, institutional integrity and the responsibility of citizens in shaping better governance outcomes.
By linking the absence of standards directly to the failure of the public to demand accountability, the ACF has placed part of the burden on the electorate while also criticising the flexibility that characterises the country’s political and legal systems.