CHALLENGE TO POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND NATIONAL UNITY IN NIGERIA, 1999-2023

Abstract

The place of altruistic leadership to the stability of a state remains sacrosanct. The progress or the decline of a country has much to do with the kind of leadership it has. A survey of Africa and the level of development she has attained since political freedom from colonial rule, from the middle of the 20^th century, up to the 21^st century, reveal much on the quality of leadership she has. In Nigeria, for instance, with myriads of challenges bordering on nation building – in the form of development, insecurity, ethno-religious and economic upheavals, deficient in political leadership has remain a sore point. The return of civilian rule in Nigeria from 1999, elicited high hope of better governance; this quickly evaporated with abysmal performance of the political class. The alarming increase in security challenges in Nigeria is a further evidence of leadership failure in the country. The essay by means of qualitative method, made a critical analysis of the important role altruistic leadership can play to enhance the unity and development of Nigeria. It made suggestion for the revision of long held concept of leadership in Nigeria. The ideas of alignment of political leadership with an ethno-religious sentiment than on individual capacity need to change. Furthermore, a change of the idea of leadership in Nigeria would go a long way to lessen the acrimony and tensions often associated with leadership emergence in the country.