The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, has identified lack of character among political leaders as a major reason Nigeria continues to struggle despite its abundance of highly educated citizens.
Gombe spoke in Abuja when the leadership of the Arewa Students Forum visited the SDP national headquarters to honour him for his contributions to society.
He argued that Nigeria was not suffering from a shortage of educated people, noting that the country had politicians and public officials with impressive academic qualifications, professional titles and years of experience.
According to him, however, education without character has done little to improve governance.
“Character comes before learning. Learning without character is virtually nothing,” he declared.
The SDP chairman said academic qualifications should not be mistaken for the ability to provide responsible and effective leadership, stressing that the real challenge was the failure to translate knowledge into integrity, patriotism, selflessness and accountability.
He lamented that despite having professors, graduates and retired professionals occupying strategic public offices, Nigeria continued to grapple with serious problems at virtually every level of governance.
“We have people with all the degrees, with all the titles, professors, retired this and retired that, and we are still behaving as if we didn’t go to school,” he said.
Leadership starts before political office
Gombe recalled his days as a student union leader, describing the period as one of the most significant stages of his life because of the opportunity it provided to influence positively the lives of fellow students.
He said student leaders of his generation actively engaged in debates and initiatives aimed at addressing issues affecting students, including the rising cost of food and other essential commodities.
He maintained that some of the solutions and debates generated by student leaders at the time were more substantive than what was currently obtainable in the National Assembly.
“Leadership of tomorrow is supposed to start as leaders of today,” he said.
He therefore challenged young Nigerians to embrace patriotism, commitment and selfless service rather than waiting until they attain political office before demonstrating leadership.
Gombe also urged the students not to treat the familiar university declaration that graduates are found “worthy in character and learning” as mere ceremonial words.
He said character must remain the foundation of education, leadership and public service.
“Character matters in the life of an individual, community or nation,” he said, adding that academic achievements become meaningless when they are not accompanied by integrity and responsible conduct.
‘Your 2.1m votes can change Nigeria’
The SDP chairman further urged members of the Arewa Students Forum and other young Nigerians to take an active role in shaping the country’s political future ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the forum, which he described as a non-partisan organisation, reportedly had about 2.1 million members, describing the figure as a potentially decisive voting bloc.
Gombe urged the students to deploy their numerical strength towards electing leaders with character, competence, capacity, patriotism and fear of God.
He said their votes could make a significant difference, particularly given the relatively narrow margins separating leading candidates in recent presidential elections.
“Leadership is our major problem in this country. When you don’t get it right at the level of leadership, you are not going to get it right at any level or in any sphere of human endeavour,” he said.
He urged the students to educate their peers, participate in voter registration and campaigns, and support candidates based on their records rather than ethnicity, religion, region or political affiliation.
“You must be committed to educating your peers. You are of voting age. When you are 18, you are eligible to vote. You have to educate your peers so that they make the right choice in our elections,” he said.
Gombe stressed that the students were not required to support the SDP, insisting that their primary responsibility was to participate actively in the democratic process and help elect credible leaders.
“We are not saying you must belong to the SDP. You must, however, be committed to participating in the process of electing credible, patriotic and competent leaders,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to assess political candidates by their antecedents, competence, character and capacity to serve, rather than by ethnic, religious, regional or partisan considerations.
Northern states, FCT facing worsening conditions
The SDP chairman also expressed concern over the deteriorating socio-economic conditions in the northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, urging young Nigerians to take deliberate democratic steps to reverse the trend.
He warned that young people must not wait until they grow old before taking responsibility for the country’s future.
Gombe urged them to remain hopeful and committed to Nigeria, stressing that the country had no alternative and must be collectively rescued by its citizens.
Arewa students honour Gombe
Earlier, the Arewa Students Forum honoured Gombe, describing him as a servant leader whose humility, intellectual accomplishment and commitment to humanity distinguished him from many political figures.
The students said the recognition was based on his record of service, accessibility and contributions to society.
Responding, Gombe thanked the students, saying the honour was more than an award as it also represented a challenge to the SDP leadership to do more for Nigerians.
“This is just to challenge us to do more. We never thought you were watching and rating us,” he said.
He noted that the recognition showed that young Nigerians were paying attention to political parties and scrutinising the performance of those entrusted with leadership responsibilities.
Gombe assured the students that the SDP would continue to contribute to the well-being of Nigerians and humanity, while urging them to remain active participants in the democratic process.
He maintained that Nigeria could still be rescued if citizens, particularly young people, demanded leadership that combines character with learning, competence with integrity, and political power with accountability.