By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
Former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, has blamed Nigeria’s leadership crisis on the failure of political parties to prioritise merit in the recruitment of candidates for elective offices.
Gana, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the nation’s fortunes would not improve unless parties place competence, character and integrity above vested interests in the build-up to the 2027 general elections.
The former minister spoke on Saturday in Kaduna at the 2025 Reunion of the Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF), themed “Leading from the Front: The Role of Christian Elders.”
While addressing journalists, Gana, who chaired the event said: “Leadership recruitment in Nigeria has often failed because political parties neglect merit. If we are serious about saving this nation, 2027 must produce men and women of excellence.”
He warned that the country risked remaining stuck in maladministration if political leaders failed to act.
The PDP chieftain argued that leadership does not emerge by chance but must be deliberately nurtured through mentorship and training.
“Nowhere in the world do leaders emerge by accident. They are trained deliberately. That is why I want to appeal to churches, elders and political leaders to pay serious attention to raising high-quality leaders. Nothing happens without leadership,” he said.
On his party, the PDP, Gana said he had always pressed for excellence in candidate selection.
“We are going to insist that all our candidates for governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and the presidency must be men and women of character, integrity, honour and wisdom. Nigerians deserve the best,” he added.
The former MAMSER boss stressed that leadership quality would determine whether Nigeria could overcome its socio-economic and political challenges.
He urged Nigerians to be deliberate about producing leaders capable of driving progress at local, state and national levels.
