The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, on Thursday issued a passionate and uncompromising charge to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deliver clean and credible elections, warning that Nigeria’s democratic missteps could leave the country stranded while the rest of Africa moves on.
Speaking at the Leadership Annual Conference and Awards 2025 in Abuja, themed “Political Stability and Sustainable Development in Africa in an Increasingly Unstable Global System: A Roadmap for Nigeria,” Kukah declared that Nigeria must urgently get its electoral process right amid lingering controversies over the Electoral Act.
“By God, by whatever means, give us clean and credible elections,” the cleric said emphatically, drawing applause from participants at the high-level gathering.
Kukah, who chaired the occasion, situated Nigeria’s democratic challenge within a rapidly shifting global order, warning that Africa is once again becoming the theatre of geopolitical competition among superpowers scrambling for critical minerals.
According to him, while Africa grapples with internal conflicts and political fragility, powerful nations are recalibrating their global strategies, with Africa’s vast mineral resources at the centre of their renewed interest.
“The boys in Washington are discussing critical minerals,” he said.
“America’s greatest task now is how to deal with these minerals , the elements required to build and industrialise their country. They are investing in mining, protecting their mining companies, and rebuilding their mining ecosystems.”
Kukah lamented that Africa, despite being the primary source of many of these resources, is largely excluded from decisive global conversations shaping its future.
“We are not at the table,” he warned,adding:“While the superpowers are reviewing what looks like a new Berlin Conference in major cities of the world to consolidate their domination, Africa is again the main venue on the table.”
He cautioned that without political stability anchored on credible elections, Nigeria risks weakening not only itself but also Africa’s broader ambition for relevance in a turbulent global system.
“A roadmap to make Africa great again cannot proceed without Nigeria,” Kukah said.
“But the rest of Africa will not wait for Nigeria. They will not wait for us to decide whether we transmit election results by podcast, telecast, videocast or livestream.”
In a thinly veiled reference to past electoral controversies, he stressed that the mechanics of result transmission must not overshadow the fundamental obligation of transparency and integrity.
“The rest of Africa will not wait for us to surrender to confusion.We must get it right, “he added.
Kukah also painted a grim picture of a continent “haemorrhaging” from internal wars and instability, even as global powers intensify competition for influence and resources.
“While Africa is drowning in its own blood and consolidating its weakness, other nations are moving forward in their domination,” he said.
The bishop, however, maintained that platforms such as the Leadership Conference offer opportunities for introspection and solution-driven dialogue.
“This conference is about Nigeria , where we are, what we’ve learned, and where we are going,” he noted. “It is about honest conversations around political stability and sustainable development in a world that is becoming increasingly unstable.”
He said the awards segment of the event was designed to honour resilience, innovation and service to humanity, emphasising that national progress requires collaboration across government, private sector, civil society and communities.
“We celebrate excellence, not perfection , commitment, faith and resilient service to this nation,” Kukah said.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayAdvertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com