Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, has said that Nigerians are in the category of “unfortunate citizens of the world.”

Mr Jega said this on Sunday at the Pre- Ramadan Lecture organised by the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA) where he was the chairman of the occasion. 

The former INEC boss who was speaking on the theme, “Leadership Recruitment – The Missing Anchor in Our National Development”, declared that Nigerian leadership despite being in the context of a civil democratic dispensation, still leaves much to be desired.

Mr Jega said Nigerian leaders lacked a sustainable vision for the country’s development, selflessness in elective public leadership positions, competence and capacity to lead a country in the 21st century.

“Their style of leadership lacks an enlightened self-interest to galvanise and forge elite consensus on how to reposition, stabilise and develop the country on a sustainable basis.”

He also faulted Nigerian leadership recruitment process which he said has been throwing up the wrong set of people to lead the nation.

“We evidently have been recruiting and appointing/electing inappropriate leaders, quite often, round pegs in square holes, and undermining, rather than, strengthening our governance, democratic and development processes,” he said.

He then stressed the need to address the leadership crisis by improving on the recruitment process as we approach 2023 general elections.