Exit of Joe Biden from the United States presidential race has set an example for Nigerian and African sit-tight leaders, offering them simple leadership lessons.
Biden, US president and former Democratic Party presidential candidate for the November election, announced his withdrawal from the race on Sunday evening and backed his vice, Kamala Harris, as the standard bearer of the party. Harris will now challenge Donald Trump, candidate of the Republican Party and former US president, in the election.
Biden’s decision came after mounting pressure from stakeholders, who cited concerns over his health, age and cognitive capacity.
Read also: World leaders react to Biden’s withdrawal from U.S. presidential race
Biden’s exit is a significant development in American politics, and one that Nigerian leaders would do well to take note of, according to social and political analysts.
It is also a lesson for more than five African presidents who have been in power for over 30 years.
Reacting to the development in a telephone interview with BusinessDay, Wilfred Terlumun Uji, a professor of Social and Economic History at the Federal University of Lafia, observed that the decision by Biden to step down from the presidential race is a rare and uncommon occurrence in the political history of the United States of America.
According to Uji, the move demonstrates that leadership recruitment in the US prioritises the collective good of the nation over personal ambition. He noted that Biden’s exit shows that even the most powerful individuals can acknowledge their limitations and put the country’s interests first.
“It is quite rare and uncommon in the political history of the United States of America where the presidential standard bearer of a political party who doubles up as the incumbent will willingly relinquish his right and power to be the party standard bearer in an upcoming general presidential election by stepping down,” he said.
“When last did a presidential flag bearer of a political party in the United States of America yield to popular pressure and in the collective good and interest of the American nation, sacrificed and gave up his personal ambition to run for the president by stepping down?” he asked.
The university teacher contrasted the development with Nigeria’s leadership recruitment process, which he argued is often driven by personal gain and primitive accumulation, rather than the collective good.
He cited the example of the late President Umaru Musa Yar Adua, who was fielded by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) despite being hospitalised during his campaign. This, he argued, highlights the need for Nigeria to adopt a more democratic and people-centered approach to leadership recruitment.
Read also: Unleashing the future leaders of tomorrow: Spark scholars leadership masterclass series
“Leadership recruitment in Nigeria is deeply rooted in the nature and character of the prebendal politics. The capture of political power and authority is largely centered around class and primitive accumulation to the detriment and demise of the collective good and image of the nation.
“In 2007, President Olusegun Obasanjo, under the PDP, fielded a sick and incapable presidential aspirant, Umaru Musa Yar Adua, to become the president of Nigeria. Olusegun Obasanjo and the PDP campaigned for President Yar Adua who was a proxy, hospitalised in an unknown destination and location.”
He said that late Musa Yar Adua contested and won the presidency even while he was incapacitated and bedridden in an unknown hospital, noting that he even received a phone call from President Olusegun Obasanjo where he admitted of being sick.
The former executive secretary of Benue State Teaching Service Board (TSB) also highlighted the importance of internal democracy within political parties, citing the Democratic Party’s ability to respond to the wishes and aspirations of the American people. He said Nigeria’s leadership recruitment process must prioritise service to the people and nation, rather than personal ambition and power.
Sunday Agbala, an Abuja-based political analyst, said Biden’s exit is a lesson for Nigerian leaders.
“How many frail, sick or weak chairmanship, gubernatorial or presidential standard bearers in Nigeria would behave the same way as Biden? We have had instances where people who were over 80 years old were appointed as ambassadors, ministers or advisers. They had nothing to do because they were sick and frail. Yet they remained in power.
“It is high time we learnt a lesson and knew when to quit when we can’t carry on,” he further said.
Read also: Leaders consult unveils Africa LAMPS awards to honour excellence
John Abraham, lawyer, said there is a need to groom Nigerians to love the nation.
“Many Nigerians are not patriotic. These people find themselves in leadership positions with selfish and prebendal mindset. When they are sick, they remain in power and even govern from abroad. Some cannot even hand over to their deputies or assistants because they don’t want to lose power. This needs to change through re-orientation of Nigerians,” he said.
