In a poignant and searing critique of the status quo, Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, CEO of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, has penned a powerful reflection on the crisis of governance in Nigeria. Her verdict? The leadership we see today is unrecognizable to the people it claims to serve.

Writing for Premium Times, the human rights activist and daughter of the late General Murtala Muhammed dissects the widening chasm between the ruling elite and the suffering masses. Her argument is not just political; it is deeply moral. She posits that leadership has lost its essential quality of empathy, becoming a transactional exercise in power retention rather than a vehicle for social upliftment.

The Disconnect

Oyebode points to the daily realities of Nigerians—insecurity, inflation, and institutional decay—as evidence of this abandonment. "When leaders cannot feel the pain of the mother in Chibok or the hunger of the child in Lagos, they cease to be leaders and become merely rulers," she argues.

• Loss of Empathy: The primary failure is the inability to center the human experience in policy.
• Accountability Vacuum: A system where impunity reigns and consequences are for the poor.

A Call to Reclaim the Future

This is not a message of despair, but a call to action. Oyebode urges civil society and the youth to "reclaim" the concept of leadership. She draws a line in the sand, demanding a new social contract where governance is defined by service, integrity, and tangible results.

Her words resonate far beyond Nigeria’s borders. In Nairobi, where the "political class" is often viewed with similar disdain, Oyebode’s essay serves as a mirror. It forces us to ask: Do we recognize the people in power, or have they become strangers in the very lands they govern?