Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna state, says the culture of citizens-centred governance should be encouraged in the country, to drive even development.

NAN reports that El-Rufai spoke on Sunday at the launch of an autobiography and retirement programme of Ishaq Akintola, a professor at the Lagos State University (LASU).

Akintola recently retired from the university having attained the statutory retirement age of 70.

El-Rufai, who was the keynote speaker and awardee at the event, said Tinubu’s administration is on the right path to make Nigeria work with its decisions so far.

The former governor noted that the sound footing with which the administration started has deflated the ranks of those that did not see any good in the same faith ticket.

“As a people, the earlier we distil ourselves from the primordial ethno-religious perception of things, especially as it concerns national leadership, the better for us,” he said

“The way with which the present administration at the centre is changing things for the common good of the Nigerian people within a short period shows that leadership should be hinged on merit and not entitlement basis.

“We must de-emphasise religion and ethnic colouration for us to build a society where no one should be discriminated upon on the basis of ethnic nationality, religion or political leaning.

“As members of the two major religious groups in the country, if we find ourselves in public positions, we should ensure we practice the basic principles of leadership as encapsulated in both Christian and Islamic religions.

“Both religions espouse the culture of good leadership, but some individual persons tend to do that which is at variance with the scriptures.”

El-Rufai said leadership choice based on entitlement in Kaduna plunged the state into protracted crises in the past years.

However, he said a recent change in the old tradition of leadership choice had changed things for the better in the state.