- Oby Ezekwesili criticizes the Nigerian political class for a common culture of self-interest and lack of accountability in leadership
- She calls on citizens to take ownership of democracy and work together to create a new, more responsible political class
Oby Ezekwesili, Nigeria’s former Minister of Education, has voiced her concern that Nigerians and other Africans are afflicted by their political class. She asserts that this political class collectively shares a common dominant political culture marked by subjugation.
Ezekwesili criticized the leadership of the National Assembly for their procurement of over 400 new cars for members, even including lawmakers from the Labor Party who accepted the luxury SUVs in the midst of a national financial crisis.
In a post on her verified X account, Ezekwesili stated that the behavior of the political class demonstrates a lack of differentiation and a behavioral sameness. She has consistently emphasized that Nigerians and Africans are afflicted by this political class, which adheres to a dominant political culture.
She argues that the entrenched political culture prioritizes politicians’ selfish, personal, and narrow interests over the common good of the people, regardless of their party affiliations. She believes that these politicians face no consequences for their actions, leading to a lack of accountability.
Ezekwesili is glad that those asking questions for enlightenment can now see the behavior of politicians, including Labor Party lawmakers, accepting luxury SUVs during a severe financial scarcity while citizens suffer.
She believes that it is up to the citizens to dismantle and reject the pipeline that produces this kind of leadership. Citizens own democracy, not politicians, and must work collectively to design a new political class that serves society and promotes development at all levels of government. This includes the executive, legislature, and judiciary arms of government.