Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has warned that Nigeria is facing a grave moment in its history and requires urgent salvation that must go beyond party politics, personal ambition and ethnic considerations.
Tambuwal said the country has reached a dangerous crossroads where honest leadership, responsible governance and collective national effort are no longer optional but necessary for survival.
He spoke on Saturday at a leadership colloquium held to mark his 60th birthday, an event attended by former and serving political leaders, past governors, lawmakers and other prominent Nigerians cutting across party lines.
According to him, Nigeria’s present condition represents a painful departure from the vision of the country’s founding fathers, stressing that meaningful recovery can only begin when citizens and leaders accept that something fundamental is wrong with the way the nation is being governed.
“Where we are today is unfortunate. This is not where we expected to be,” Tambuwal said.
He added that the current state of the nation would deeply trouble not only conscientious citizens but also those who laboured in the past to build Nigeria.
“Those who laid the foundation for this democracy, some of whom are alive and many who are no longer living, are not happy, even in their graves, with the situation in Nigeria today,” he said.
Tambuwal argued that national rescue must rise above politics of succession, money and selfish interest, warning that the practice of installing weaker successors was damaging democratic growth and institutions.
“It is about the people of this country. It is about good governance. It is not about me. It is not about money-making,” he said.
“We must end the tendency where people gain access to public office only to impose successors who are worse than themselves.”
He maintained that the task of saving Nigeria could not be left to political parties alone, noting that citizens must actively participate in demanding and defending good leadership.
“Nigeria is in peril and we are searching for salvation. That salvation is a collective process,” Tambuwal said.
“We are citizens of this country. We have nowhere else to go. We must remain here and ensure that we do the right thing so that we can have the right leadership.”
The former Speaker also said he was ready to take greater personal risks in defence of democracy and national renewal.
“At this point in my life, I must recommit myself to what I have always believed in. I recommit myself to working with every Nigerian who believes in good democratic governance and in turning this country around,” he said.
Earlier, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who chaired the event, explained why he and then President Goodluck Jonathan opposed Tambuwal’s emergence as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2011.
Obasanjo said the opposition was based on party considerations and the desire to promote gender inclusion, following the Peoples Democratic Party’s support for Mulikat Akande-Adeola.
“Our thinking was that if, for the first time, a woman had become Speaker of the House, she should be encouraged to remain there,” Obasanjo said.
Tambuwal, then a second-term lawmaker from the North-West, defeated Akande-Adeola by polling 252 votes to her 90, despite not enjoying the backing of the Jonathan administration.
Obasanjo said the lawmakers exercised their constitutional independence and that both he and Jonathan ultimately respected the outcome.
“One thing I saw in you was humility. Greatness without humility is hollow. Your greatness is not hollow,” he told Tambuwal.
Speaking virtually, former President Goodluck Jonathan acknowledged that there were disagreements between the executive and the legislature during Tambuwal’s tenure but praised his leadership capacity.
“When he was Speaker, I was the President and we had some disagreements,” Jonathan said.
“But one thing I must give to Tambuwal is that members of the House believed so much in him. He held the House together.”
Former Senate President David Mark also recalled how Tambuwal and his deputy approached him ahead of the 2011 election, insisting they would emerge Speaker and Deputy Speaker regardless of opposition.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described Tambuwal as a leader in the making and urged him to live up to national expectations, while Peter Obi praised him as a bridge-builder committed to justice and national unity.
Other speakers at the event included former APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, former Ekiti State governor Kayode Fayemi, Mulikat Akande-Adeola and several former governors, lawmakers and religious leaders, all of whom stressed the need to protect democracy and strengthen national unity.
L
