…Urges Constitutional Power Rotation, Slams Selfish Political Culture
In a bold and thought-provoking keynote address at the Kwara Must Change Summit, renowned scholar and fiery public intellectual, Prof. Abubakar Aliagan, delivered a reality check on Nigeria’s political culture, declaring that “Politics is not about fairness and justice, it is about numbers and strategy.”
Prof. Aliagan pulled no punches as he dissected Nigeria’s political history, drawing on sharp examples to expose what he called the “strategic selfishness” at the heart of leadership succession. From Awolowo’s Christian-Christian ticket in 1983, to MKO Abiola’s Muslim-Muslim candidacy in 1993, Tinubu’s 2023 Muslim-Muslim victory, and Yahaya Bello’s succession plan in Kogi State, Aliagan argued that political actors have never been driven by equity, only by what wins.
“They don’t calculate justice. They calculate power. That’s politics,” he thundered, leaving the audience in stunned reflection.
Even more controversially, Prof. Aliagan claimed that this brand of self-centered politics is not a Nigerian disease, but a foreign import embedded in the democratic template borrowed from the United States. He referenced how one American president had two of his children serving as governors in separate states, showing how power is often a family affair cloaked in democratic robes.
Amid his critique, however, came a clarion call for hope and reform. Prof. Aliagan urged the nation to take deliberate constitutional steps to entrench power rotation and zoning, arguing that informal arrangements are not enough to protect marginalized groups or ensure stability.
“Let us stop pretending. If we want fairness, we must write it into law. Power should rotate.”
In a refreshing twist, Prof. Aliagan praised Kwara Must Change for thinking outside the box by inviting a religious scholar as keynote speaker—an act he described as “a wonderfully rare gesture in Nigeria’s political space.”
“Too often, scholars like us are called in only to offer prayers at big events. But we are thinkers, not just clerics. We must speak, not just pray,” he said, earning a round of applause from attendees.
As a final contribution, Prof. Aliagan proposed a rebranding of the popular advocacy movement’s name from “Kwara Must Change” to “Kwara Is Changing”, noting that the state has already witnessed significant political transformation since the 2019 Otoge revolution.
“The name must evolve with the times. Kwara is no longer waiting to change, Kwara is changing,” he concluded, leaving the audience energized.
The summit was a gathering of changemakers, political actors, thinkers, and citizens all eager to reimagine the future of governance in Kwara and beyond.
Prof. Aliagan’s address has since sparked debates across social and political circles, a sign that the conversation is just getting started.
