‘You Put Us There’ — Ndume Tells Nigerians To Accept Blame For Bad Leadership

 

By Abel Chigozie 

Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has urged Nigerians to accept part of the responsibility for the poor leadership they often complain about, arguing that politicians emerge from the same society and electorate they govern.

Ndume made the remarks on Wednesday at the public presentation of Military Transformational Leadership in Action: The Buratai Era, held at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre and Suites in Asokoro, Abuja.

The senator was responding to comments by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, who had criticised the political class over the politicisation of ethnicity and religion and its impact on Nigeria’s governance and security challenges.

Ndume said while politicians were often blamed for the country’s problems, citizens also had a role to play because political leaders were products of the society.

> “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, and I’m proud of it,” he said.

He added that politics was fundamentally about people, stressing that democracy was 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,” Ndume said.

The former Senate Leader also argued that citizens could not completely distance themselves from electoral malpractice, including rigging, because such practices involve people within the electoral process.

“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.

Ndume urged Nigerians to pay closer attention to the quality of candidates they support and become more involved in political processes if they desire improved governance.

Reflecting on his political career, the senator said he had never visited a police station before joining 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 police station,” he said.

Ndume concluded by stressing the importance of citizens taking greater responsibility for the political choices and processes that produce leaders.

“You put garbage in, you expect something good out of it? It’s not possible,” he added.