By Daniel Edu
Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has criticized Nigeria’s approach to leadership selection, describing it as a “trial-and-error” system. Speaking on Tuesday at the 11th Annual Public Lecture of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Yaba, Lagos, themed “Leadership in Nigeria and Its Impact on the Next Generation,” Oyebanji emphasized the need for a more deliberate approach to choosing leaders.
In his remarks as the event’s chairman, Oyebanji highlighted a recurring issue in Nigeria where individuals ascend to leadership positions without the necessary skills or mindset.
“There is no doubt that a major problem with leadership recruitment in Nigeria is that people, sometimes, just find themselves in leadership positions without the right aptitude and attitude,” he said. “For long, Nigerians have gambled with leadership selection through a trial-and-error system. We sometimes look for folk heroes or messiahs, and at other times, we base our choices on geopolitics or religious considerations.”
Oyebanji also criticized the tendency for some leaders to emerge due to privilege rather than merit. “There are those who become leaders by default or by circumstances of privileged pedigree, not because of personal merits,” he noted, emphasizing that the best leaders are those who are trained, tested, and have proven themselves capable in addition to their natural leadership abilities.
