Elochukwu Benjamin
Awka
A Professor of Public Administration at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Jude Okafor, has urged Nigerians to embrace responsible followership, warning that the country’s governance crisis cannot be blamed entirely on political leaders.
Okafor, a former Head of the Department of Political Science at the university, said the quality of leadership in any society was closely connected to the conduct, choices and attitudes of its citizens.
Speaking on leadership and followership, the don challenged Nigerians to examine their own contribution to the country’s political system rather than constantly blaming elected officials for poor governance.
He particularly condemned vote buying, warning that citizens who collect money from politicians in exchange for their votes compromise their moral authority to demand accountability from those they elect.
According to Okafor, vote buying creates a transactional relationship between politicians and the electorate, with politicians who spend huge sums to win elections likely to seek ways of recouping their investments after assuming office.
He said such a system undermines democracy by replacing competence, accountability and public service with financial transactions.
The professor maintained that Nigerians could not demand good governance while simultaneously participating in practices that weaken democratic accountability.
He urged citizens to recognise that their responsibility extends beyond casting ballots to monitoring elected officials, demanding transparency and resisting practices that undermine the electoral process.
Okafor also stressed the need for sacrifice, saying meaningful development could not be achieved if citizens remained focused solely on immediate personal benefits.
“You cannot have a good society without sacrifice,” he said.
He, however, cautioned that the burden of sacrifice should not be placed exclusively on ordinary citizens, insisting that political leaders must also demonstrate willingness to make sacrifices and uphold the standards they expect from the people.
The don said responsible and organised followership could influence government policies, noting that Nigerians had demonstrated on several occasions that citizens could successfully challenge policies considered inimical to the public interest.
He cited the role of Nigerian students in opposing unpopular policies as evidence that citizens were not powerless in determining the direction of governance.
According to him, citizens who organise responsibly and remain committed to the common good can compel governments to reconsider policies that fail to serve the public interest.
He therefore urged Nigerians to move beyond complaining about bad leadership and critically examine the behaviours and choices that help sustain the system.
The UNIZIK don also called for greater civic awareness, particularly regarding the constitutional responsibilities of elected representatives.
Okafor said a proper understanding of these responsibilities would enable citizens to demand accountability from legislators instead of celebrating them for projects that constitutionally fall within the responsibilities of the executive.
He called for a fundamental shift in the relationship between political leaders and citizens, urging Nigerians to stop viewing elections as opportunities to collect immediate financial rewards.
Rather, he said elections should be seen as a powerful opportunity for citizens to determine the kind of leadership and society they desire.
