By Damilare Adeleye
The Presidency has responded to remarks made by Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, that most of the Nigeria’s leaders including President Bola Tinubu were accidental leaders.
The renowned cleric stated this during the inauguration of Start-Rite School’s new building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja on Sunday.
“None of them were fully prepared before assuming office, especially in a world where the demands of leadership are rapidly evolving,” Kukah remarked.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Sunday night, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said President Tinubu should not be classified as among accidental leaders, asserting that he was prepared for the job.
“He (Tinubu) is not an accidental leader, he is doing his best to ensure that we have a turn around in this country,” the statement read.
“Does he look like one at all? What I am saying is that, the man is not an accidental leader, he was prepared for this office. He even said it himself that he prepared for it and that he is doing his best to ensure that this country is lifted higher than he met it, he is doing his best.
“Because he prepared himself for the office, he is doing a lot of reform, he is touching every area and he is trying to make sure that this country is being turn-around.”
For those who said that the President is an accidental leader, that is the reason he is struggling, Onanuga said, “Tinubu has shown that he is a reformer and reforms are not done in quick fixes, it takes time for you to turn things around and he is doing it.
“He is doing reforms and he is the first to acknowledge that people will be affected and he is doing everything possible to ensure that those who are affected are also helped so that they will not be left behind.
“He is reforming a lot of things in Nigeria, you are talking about taxation, you are talking about the oil sector, so many reforms the man is carrying out,” he added.