Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi has dismissed suggestions that former President Goodluck Jonathan could solve Nigeria’s problems if he returns to power in 2027, arguing that the country’s challenges require fundamental systemic reforms rather than mere leadership changes.
In a recent interview, the activist maintained that Nigeria’s governance crisis stems from structural deficiencies that personnel changes cannot address.
Farotimi criticized the political class for recycling failed leaders, noting that Jonathan’s administration was similarly vilified before being replaced by the current system.
“If you remove Bola Tinubu today without changing the system that produces such leaders, nothing will improve,” he stated. The lawyer emphasized that Nigeria needs institution-building rather than searching for saviors, questioning how a leader rejected in 2015 could be rebranded as a solution a decade later.
On Peter Obi’s proposed one-term presidency, Farotimi demanded substantive policy details over symbolic gestures. “It’s not about how long someone serves, but what they do with their time. Obasanjo had eight years, Buhari had eight years – what did they achieve?” he asked, stressing that meaningful change could be implemented within two years with proper vision.
Addressing pensioners’ protests over unpaid entitlements, Farotimi described Nigeria’s governance system as “functional enslavement” designed to extract value from citizens for political elites.
He cited cases where retirees in Ekiti State waited 15 years for pensions while leaders acquired luxury assets. The activist concluded that only systemic overhaul, not leadership musical chairs, could address Nigeria’s multidimensional crises. Dele Farotimi’s comments come amid growing public frustration with economic hardship and governance failures under successive administrations.
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