Former Presidential Candidate Calls for Debate Between Tinubu, Atiku and Obi
- Nigeria’s political future has come under sharp criticism from Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, who warned that the country is “almost a failed state”
- He accused both the ruling APC and opposition parties of focusing on elections rather than governance, despite worsening insecurity and economic hardship
- Ndu has called for a national presidential debate, urging leaders to present practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges
Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, politician and former presidential candidate of the defunct African Renaissance Party, has described Nigeria as a “failed state” that is “in a mess in all ramifications.”
In a statement issued in Enugu on Friday, May 1, 2026, Ndu criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties, accusing them of lacking ideology and focusing more on the 2027 elections than on governance.
Source: Twitter
Politicians focused on elections, not governance
Ndu, who pioneered Nigeria’s first presidential debate in Enugu in 1992, said the political space is dominated by election talk rather than solutions to insecurity and economic hardship. He stated:
“I have been watching the Nigerian political terrain and politicians closely since 1992, and my opinion is that over 90 per cent of our politicians do not care about good governance. All they are interested in is how to win elections.”
He criticised recent conventions of opposition parties, saying they were centred on defeating President Bola Tinubu and the APC, while the APC convention itself was “what anyone would expect when you ask an average student to mark his or her own examination papers.”
Call for Ernest Ikoli Memorial presidential debate
Ndu challenged President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi to a “thorough debate” on practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
He proposed that the national discourse be structured as the “Ernest Ikoli Memorial Presidential Debate,” in honour of the late journalist and nationalist Ernest Ikoli.
Social media distraction
He described as “shameful” the dominance of social media debates over whether Tinubu’s second term is a “done deal,” while the nation continues to face “multifaceted challenges.” According to Ndu, what is needed now is a robust debate among all political parties and presidential aspirants on practical solutions, beginning with insecurity.
Ndu warned that “the black race is doomed” if Nigeria fails, stressing that the country’s collapse would have dire consequences for Africa. He urged professional and socio-cultural organisations, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Nigerian Bar Association, Christian Association of Nigeria, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum and PANDEF, to jointly organise the proposed debate.
He concluded:
“Right now, our country is almost a failed state, which must never be allowed to happen because if Nigeria fails, Africa is finished.”
Source: Twitter
4 presidential debates ignored by Tinubu
Legit.ng earlier reported that as the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria draws nearer, public scrutiny on the frontline candidates is increasing and rightly so.
One candidate that has failed to subject himself to this process is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Source: Legit.ng
