PDP GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE EMPHASIZES NEED FOR PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENTS FOR LEADERSHIP
Jimi Agbaje, the 2015 PDP governorship candidate in Lagos, added nuance to the conversation by arguing that leadership courage cannot exist in isolation—it must be supported by a system that protects those who speak truth to power. He reflected on the widespread political defections that occurred recently, calling them “acts of fearful, not fearless, leadership.”
Agbaje highlighted the personal costs of standing up in Nigeria’s political environment. “When you speak truth to power, your wife asks: ‘What will happen to us?’ That’s the kind of fear that discourages bold leadership,” he said. He called for reforms in education, healthcare, and economic protection, so that families of reformers and whistleblowers are not punished.
Akinjide Adeosun, convener of the discourse, emphasized that a culture of fearless leadership would bring about the tangible improvements Nigerians crave—reliable electricity, clean water, security, and industrial growth. “The journey from bad to good, good to great, and great to excellent starts with leadership that prioritizes citizens over self,” he said.
The convergence of these economic and political narratives paints a grim portrait of Nigeria’s immediate future. While the World Bank calls for serious policy and fiscal reforms to prevent worsening poverty, the domestic political environment appears increasingly unstable. Governance institutions are either complicit or toothless in the face of executive overreach, and citizens remain largely disengaged—caught in a web of fear, fatigue, and distrust.
With elections several years away and poverty projected to deepen, the question is no longer whether Nigeria needs fearless leadership, but whether it can build a system strong enough to support it.
