Former President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that Nigeria cannot achieve meaningful progress until it abandons what he described as primitive methods of selecting leaders practices driven by religious and ethnic considerations rather than competence and merit.Speaking on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the maiden Herbert Macaulay Colloquium in Lagos, Jonathan called for far-reaching reforms in political leadership recruitment, democratic processes, and the education system.
He warned that the country risks falling short of the aspirations of its founding nationalists if it continues on its current path.The event, themed “Nationalism and Nation Building,” was organised by the Macaulay Heritage Foundation in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. It was held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on Victoria Island to mark the 162nd birthday of nationalist Herbert Macaulay.
Attendees included former PDP Deputy National Chairman Chief Bode George, Pa Tajudeen Olusi, representatives of the Oba of Lagos, scholars, and politicians.Jonathan said the founding nationalists’ vision of independence went beyond merely transferring political power from colonial rulers.
They sought a sovereign nation in which citizens controlled their resources for national development and the welfare of the people, and where every citizen regardless of ethnicity, religion, or social background enjoyed equal rights, dignity, and opportunities.Sixty-six years after independence, however, he questioned how far Nigeria has come.
While acknowledging progress in some areas, he listed persistent obstacles: poor leadership, weak institutions, corruption, inconsistent policies, inadequate infrastructure, insecurity, and over-reliance on raw material exports.He stressed that sustainable development requires moving away from religious politics, opaque democratic practices, and the recruitment of leaders based on religious or ethnic affiliations.
Nigeria must instead prioritise competence, integrity, and merit in choosing those who govern.Chief Bode George, convener of the colloquium, described Macaulay as a special gift to Nigeria whose contributions to the nation’s political development deserve greater recognition. The gathering, he said, aimed to examine the strategies Macaulay used to challenge colonial rule and advance the interests of Nigerians.
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