Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that Nigeria’s development crisis stems not from a shortage of ideas or resources, but from persistent leadership failure.

Also, as political realignments gather momentum ahead of the 2027 General Elections, Senator Shehu Sani has stressed the need for a vibrant and credible opposition, warning that democracy would not thrive without it.

He insisted that democracy could only be validated through visible infrastructural transformation and ethical governance.

Wike spoke yesterday at a Distinguished Personality Lecture organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Abuja, where he delivered a paper on ‘The Impact of Political Leadership on Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Between Dividends of Democracy and Good Governance’.

Addressing scholars, students and policymakers at the institution’s main campus auditorium, the FCT Minister argued that Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999 had yet to fully translate political legitimacy into tangible improvements in citizens’ daily lives.

“Democracy must go beyond periodic elections,” he said. “Its credibility is measured not only at the ballot box, but in the quality of life it creates and sustains, roads that work, schools that inspire, hospitals that heal, water that runs, and security that reassures.”

Quoting the late novelist, Chinua Achebe, the minister recalled the assertion in ‘The Trouble with Nigeria’ that the country’s fundamental problem is leadership.

He maintained that decades of underdevelopment in basic infrastructure, healthcare, institutions and economic productivity reflect “failures of vision, courage and prioritisation” rather than policy imagination.

According to him, political leadership remains the decisive bridge between democratic ideals and developmental realities.

“Development does not occur by accident,” he said. “Where leadership is transactional, infrastructure stagnates and institutions decay. Where leadership is purposeful, infrastructure becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence and national cohesion.”

Sani spoke at a briefing in Kaduna while reacting to the ordeals of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai.

“I must warn Nigerians: we need an opposition. We need opposition in any democracy because without opposition a nation stands the chance of sliding into grief,” he said.

The former federal lawmaker, however, questioned the integrity of those positioning themselves as alternative leaders ahead of the next general election.

“But the question you have to ask yourself is, these people who are parading themselves as opposition, are they credible enough to present an alternative to each and every one of us. These are questions we must ask them,” Sani stated.

He argued that many individuals now claiming to be opposition figures were part of previous administrations, which, according to him, contributed to Nigeria’s present challenges.

Sani maintained that Nigerians must look beyond familiar political actors in 2027 and demand leaders with proven integrity.