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Don Cautions Against Ethnic, Religious Sentiments in Leadership Choice

A university scholar, Prof. Bakare Talabi, has warned against the dangers of electing leaders on the basis of ethnicity or religion, stressing that such practices have repeatedly produced poor governance outcome

Prof. Talabi, a Professor of Politics and Governance, gave the warning in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, during an interaction with journalists at the Leadership Series organised by One Kwara Agenda, a civic advocacy movement advocating competence and credibility in leadership selection ahead of the 2027 general election

He noted that across the world, nations that allowed parochial sentiments to dictate leadership choices often suffered instability, misrule, and stunted development. Bringing the point home, he argued that Nigeria’s long reliance on ethno-religious factors in politics has been a major setback to national progress and stabilit

According to him, “Inclusiveness and balanced representation are important in a diverse society, but they must never override merit and competence. The quality of decisions leaders make has profound consequences, and when chosen for reasons other than capacity, the entire society bears the cost

Prof. Talabi further cautioned Kwarans against falling prey to ethnic campaigners and regional agitators who, he said, often use sectional rhetoric as a cover for personal ambition

In his remarks, the convener of One Kwara Agenda, Hon. Femi Adetola (popularly known as Dr. FAA), said the initiative was conceived in response to the mounting agitation over the governorship ticket across the state’s three senatorial districts. He observed that the clamour for zoning was gradually overshadowing discussions about merit and capacity, which he described as more critical for the future of the stat

Adetola reaffirmed that Kwara must prioritise competence over sentiments in order to secure sustainable development and accountable governance.

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