By Muhammad Mamman
Former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has warned that Nigeria’s mounting national challenges are rooted in flawed elections, poor governance and the steady erosion of key institutions.
Speaking in an interview, Tambuwal said the country’s persistent political and economic difficulties reflect long-standing structural weaknesses that have undermined public trust and effective leadership.
According to him, repeated failures in the electoral process have denied citizens the opportunity to freely choose their leaders, weakening accountability and encouraging poor governance at all levels.
“When elections do not truly reflect the will of the people, governance suffers and institutions become fragile,” Tambuwal said, arguing that democratic legitimacy is central to national stability.
The former governor and one-time Speaker of the House of Representatives also criticised what he described as the declining strength and independence of state institutions, warning that their inability to function effectively has worsened insecurity, economic hardship and social tensions.
Tambuwal called for urgent reforms to restore confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system and to strengthen institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law and delivering public services.
His comments come amid growing public debate over Nigeria’s democratic trajectory, with analysts and civil society groups increasingly linking the country’s crises to governance failures and institutional decay.
