Coalition of scholars, governance experts and public figures has called for a fundamental shift in Nigeria’s democratic culture.

They warned that accountability failures were being entrenched not only by leadership deficits but by a deeper crisis of citizenship, ethical followership and institutional purpose.

The warning came during the 2nd International Conference on Followership Studies, a virtual gathering hosted by a retired Nigerian Army officer and governance reform advocate, General Ishola Williams, over the weekend.

The conference was organised by PANAFSTRAG in collaboration with Empowered Newswire and anchored by veteran journalist and former presidential aide, Laolu Akande.

Opening the conference, Laolu Akande dedicated the session to the memory of Mallam Aminu Kano, describing him as a defining symbol of citizen-centred political engagement and principled followership in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.

He stressed the urgency of bringing followership into mainstream governance discourse, arguing that democratic outcomes are shaped as much by citizens as by leaders.

The event, themed “The Demand Side of Accountability”, convened a wide range of contributors, including Dr Charles Dickson of the Tattaaunawa Roundtable Initiative, Prof. Nimi Wariboko of Boston University, and Prof. Aminu Gusau. Among others.

Discussions centred on voter behaviour, civic responsibility, institutional integrity, leadership ethics, youth participation and the structural conditions shaping Nigeria’s democratic trajectory ahead of the 2027 elections.

Delivering a keynote address, Dickson described followership as an under-examined source of political power.

He argued that governance outcomes were heavily influenced by the quality and consciousness of citizens.

He warned that silence, indifference and passive consent often sustain governance failure as much as direct political wrongdoing, calling for a shift from social media outrage to sustained civic engagement.

He was supported by Dr Aminu Gusau, who argued that governance quality was directly shaped by the nature of followership within society.

Abdussamad Dasuki contributed a perspective on youth engagement and political responsibility, stressing the importance of preparing younger generations for active civic participation.

Dr Sam Amadi argued that Nigeria’s governance crisis could not be understood as a leadership problem alone, insisting that it was simultaneously a citizenship and institutional problem.

In his remarks, Dr Bode Olugore emphasised practical civic engagement through the Government-to-Citizen interface model.

He argued that citizens must transition from passive subjects to active contributors in policy formation.

Contributors stressed that accountability must be rooted in everyday civic practice rather than episodic electoral participation.

Destiny Alele presented a session on political ethics and followership responsibility.

She argued that politics influences all aspects of society and that citizens must actively reject corruption, including vote buying, while remaining informed and engaged in political processes.

Delivering one of the most consequential interventions of the conference, General Williams said Nigeria’s governance failures were rooted in what he described as a systemic collapse of purpose across institutions.

He said public service had increasingly become disconnected from accountability and national interest.

He argued that many citizens and public servants operated primarily on survival and self-interest, resulting in weak institutional performance and distorted incentives.

Prof. Nimi Wariboko, in a lecture on followership, defined it as the collective capacity of citizens to guide, sustain, correct and replace leadership in pursuit of a shared political future.

He identified misconceptions about followership, including the belief that leadership alone determines outcomes.