AmanaOnline

December 8, 2025

Nigerians Must Choose Leadership, Justice and Reason Before It Is Too Late. There is no true democracy where “constitutional powers” are exercised corruptly. A nation may conduct elections and display the symbols of democracy, yet remain deeply undemocratic in practice. When leadership is driven by self interest, ethnic loyalty and unchecked power, democracy becomes nothing more than a performance; elaborate, expensive and ultimately empty. This is the Nigerian condition today.

Nigeria did not evolve through organic political development; it was pieced together and later reshaped by arrangements that ignored cultural coherence and long term stability. What we now call “federalism” is not federalism in practice. While politicians recite slogans about unity and restructuring, the reality on the ground tells a different story.

More importantly, Nigeria existed long before the creation of its current states. These states are administrative inventions, spaces without real autonomy, economic independence or sovereign power. They never surrendered authority to the centre because they never possessed meaningful authority to begin with. What we have is not a federation, but a centralized country pretending to be one.

Nigeria today resembles less a united nation and more a Divided State of Nigeria (DSN). There is little that binds the 36 states together meaningfully, and proposals to expand them to 48 will only deepen fragmentation. More states mean more bureaucracy, more political appointments, more financial dependency on the centre and more tension over identity and resources, but not more development.

A deeper crisis fuels this dysfunction: the collapse of rational thinking. Many Nigerians, including the educated, increasingly retreat into emotion, sentiment, tribal loyalty, religious suspicion and political idolatry. Instead of interrogating facts, we defend tribes. Instead of demanding competence, we praise personalities. Instead of analyzing policy, we fall for propaganda. This emotional drift has made the nation vulnerable to manipulation and permanent stagnation.

The consequences are visible everywhere especially in security and governance.

Insecurity continues to grow from insurgency to banditry to kidnappings, yet the responses remain inconsistent, politicized and reactive. Root causes such as unemployment, illiteracy, inequality, a broken justice system and poor leadership remain unaddressed. Even within the military and security agencies, promotion and recognition are often influenced by politics rather than merit. When those tasked with defending the nation feel undervalued, commitment weakens and insecurity thrives.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has shown flashes of leadership beyond its borders, intervening at times to stabilize neighbouring countries and prevent political collapse. Yet the irony remains: a country capable of projecting strength abroad struggles to maintain stability and justice at home.

On the issue of religion, one truth stands firm: freedom of belief cannot be negotiated. No leader can abolish religious or moral law in a multi faith society. Muslims, Christians and traditionalists each draw guidance from their respective faiths. Any attempt to suppress one out of fear or foreign pressure would deepen division and ignite unrest. History has proven that extremism is not exclusive to any religion; it is born from human weakness, not doctrine.

Even globally, as nations assert independence in politics and economics, dominant powers grow uneasy. This shift explains much of the rising friction between emerging countries and Western leaders. Yet Nigeria’s greatest threat is internal, not external.

Corruption is normalized. Justice is selective. Leadership is transactional. Talent is wasted or exported. Youth are losing hope. Ethnic grievances persist and are exploited.

Nigeria does not lack talent or resources. It lacks discipline, sincerity, accountability and a unifying national ideology. A nation cannot progress when leadership is disconnected from responsibility and citizens are divided by identity instead of united by purpose.

Until leadership becomes service, until law becomes fair and until citizenship becomes stronger than tribe or religion, the phrase “Federal Republic of Nigeria” will remain a slogan rather than a reality.

Nigeria today is not a united federation.

It is a divided state searching for reason, justice, identity and rebirth.

Engr. Hf Dauda MoiSoro – December 8, 2025