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Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has said Nigeria is in peril and urgently needs salvation, calling on Nigerians to unite and rescue the country from its current challenges.
Tambuwal spoke at a colloquium organised to mark his 60th birthday, where he said the country had fallen far short of expectations.
He noted that Nigeria was not where its founding fathers envisaged, adding that even those who laid the foundations of the country’s democracy, whether alive or deceased, would be unhappy with the present state of affairs.
Tambuwal, who said it was the first time he was celebrating his birthday, explained that although he initially declined the idea of a colloquium, he later accepted because of the relevance of its theme.
Tambuwal marks 60th Birthday in Abuja
According to him, the event was not about personal celebration but about reflecting on the state of the nation and finding a way forward.
“It is about good governance. It is not about me or merrymaking. It is about finding a pathway for our country. Where we are today is unfortunate. This is not where we expected to be,” he said.
He added that Nigerians who genuinely believed in the country and were not driven by selfish interests could not be satisfied with the current situation.
“The only way out is for all of us to accept that something is fundamentally wrong with how we are being governed in Nigeria today,” Tambuwal said.
Addressing dignitaries at the event, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Tambuwal stressed the need for collective action to rescue the nation.
“Our country is in peril, and we are looking for salvation. This is a collective process. It is not about partisanship or political parties alone,” he said.
While agreeing that political parties must present clear programmes and ideas for governance, Tambuwal insisted that all citizens had a role to play.
“We are involved as citizens of this country. We have nowhere else to go. We must remain in Nigeria and ensure that we do the right thing so that we can have the right leadership,” he said.
“I do agree. But we must all be involved. Why? Because we are involved as citizens of this country, and we have nowhere to go to, and we have nowhere to run to, but we have to remain in Nigeria and make sure that we do the right thing for us to have the right leadership.
“It is a collective responsibility. As my elder brother, Peter Obi, and many other leaders have said, much is expected of me at this stage of my life. I have passed the age of looking left, right and centre. I must therefore recommit myself to the values I have always believed in, even as a younger person.
“I may not be taking too much risk, although I am prepared to take some, but I recommit myself to working with every Nigerian who believes in achieving and enthroning good democratic governance for the country.”
