For decades, Nigeria’s political discourse has been dominated by a recurring cycle of messianic expectation followed by deep disillusionment.
Every election cycle, citizens rally behind a new political figure, convinced that a single individual’s integrity and willpower can single-handedly rescue the nation from its economic and social quagmires.
However, media personality Sola Kuti challenges this deeply entrenched narrative, arguing that Nigeria’s core political and economic struggles are largely a product of its system of governance, rather than the personalities who occupy public office.
Speaking during a discussion on national affairs, Watch below:
Kuti warned against the persistent misconception that simply changing leaders will automatically resolve the country’s long-standing challenges.
In his view, focusing heavily on individual politicians causes Nigerians to ignore the deeper structural issues affecting governance and public service delivery.
The true culprit, he argues, is a political structure that is fundamentally flawed and inherently resistant to meaningful change.
To mistake the symptom for the cause is to ensure that the nation remains trapped in a loop of failed promises. To illustrate this point, Kuti drew a direct parallel between the current public optimism surrounding Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and the massive public support that greeted former President Muhammadu Buhari before he assumed office.
At the time, Buhari was widely romanticized as a disciplined, incorruptible leader who would decisively tackle corruption and repair deep-rooted governance problems.
Yet, despite that overwhelming wave of hope, many Nigerians were left deeply disappointed as the outcomes of the Buhari administration failed to align with the high expectations placed on him.
Kuti observes that Peter Obi is currently being viewed through that exact same idealistic lens by a hopeful electorate.
“Peter Obi, for me, is just another Buhari,” Kuti remarked. This comparison is not necessarily an indictment of Obi’s personal capabilities, but rather a warning about the futility of relying on individual charisma over institutional design. Kuti admitted that even he was surprised by how thoroughly the previous administration was swallowed by the machinery of the state.
“No matter how much I didn’t like Buhari… I realized that a soul like him with such principles, in quotes, could go into government and achieve absolutely nothing,” he noted.
The core tragedy of Nigerian governance, according to Kuti, is that even well-intentioned leaders often struggle and falter once they assume power.
This failure happens because they find themselves trapped by entrenched interests, institutional constraints, and a bureaucratic framework designed to sustain the status quo rather than foster progress. The environment dictates the behavior of the individual, not the other way around.
When a political structure is compromised from its very foundation, the individual virtues of the person at the top become largely irrelevant. Kuti summarized this systemic paralysis bluntly: “The point that I’m trying to make… is that the system, if the system is broken, there’s nothing you can do when you get there.”
Ultimately, Kuti’s insights serve as a call for a radical shift in how Nigerians approach national reform. The country cannot vote its way out of systemic rot simply by replacing the faces in the presidential villa.
Reflecting on the lessons of past administrations, Kuti concluded that Nigeria’s progress will depend far less on who becomes president and far more on whether the country’s institutions are properly reformed.
True transformation will only begin when citizens stop looking for political saviors and start demanding a complete restructuring of the governance system itself.
