Efforts of Nigeria’s leaders since 1999, not good enough, Atiku admits

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Monday admitted that the result of efforts of of past leaders of Nigeria from 1999 till date, has not been good enough so far.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during the 2019 general election, pointed out that it is clear that the problem of leadership is at the epicenter of governance issues that has afflicted Nigeria since the restoration of this democratic dispensation.
Atiku said these in his message to Nigerians on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of Democracy Day.
The former Vice President posited that to get at this problem would require the voting citizens of the country to undertake a more critical evaluation of national leadership recruitment – a rare gift which democracy guarantees through the instrumentality of periodic elections.
According to him, “Between 1999 to the present time, our democracy has thrown up all shades of characters at the leadership levels.
“Many, if not all of them, have tried their best to deliver good governance to the country.
“But the results of their efforts, judging by what we have at hand today, clearly shows that our best has not been good enough thus far”, he said.
Continuing, the PDP presidential candidate said, “It is clear that the problem of leadership is at the epicenter of governance issues that has afflicted Nigeria since the restoration of this democratic dispensation.
“To get at this problem would require the voting citizens of the country to undertake a more critical evaluation of national leadership recruitment – a rare gift which democracy guarantees through the instrumentality of periodic elections.”