Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern over Nigeria’s repeated failure to get leadership right. He believes the country continues to make poor political choices because of deep-rooted tribal and religious divisions.

In a recent interview on Talking Books African, a programme by the Rainbow Book Club, Jonathan explained that tribalism and religion are major reasons why Nigeria struggles to develop. According to him, many Nigerians still judge political candidates based on where they come from or what religion they practice instead of their ability to lead.

He advised young Nigerians to change this mindset. He stressed that competence and leadership skills should be the main things to look for—not tribe or religion. Jonathan warned that as long as people keep making decisions this way, Nigeria will continue to suffer the consequences of poor leadership.

He also noted that Nigeria is already deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines, which is a major setback. If nothing is done to change this, he said, future generations will face the same problems.

Jonathan gave a clear example of how this affects governance. He said many political leaders ignore the most qualified candidates simply because they want to favour someone from their tribe. This kind of thinking, he explained, hurts the country’s chances of getting capable and effective leaders.

In summary, Jonathan is urging Nigerians—especially the youth—to think beyond tribe and religion when it comes to choosing leaders. For the country to move forward, he says, we must break free from these old habits and focus on selecting leaders who have the right skills and vision for the job.