By Joachim OLUMBA
In a few months from now, Nigerians shall be marching to the polls to elect a new set of leaders or renew the mandates of some eligible crop of leaders. The exercise will flag off with the presidential and national assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, across the country.
Already, the electoral umpire known as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has formally released the list of approved presidential candidates. Amongst the frontline contestants are the incumbent president, Alhaji Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC); former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former two-time governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, who's flying the flag of the nascent Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). There are a host of other candidates, but these three seem to be the most prominent.
President Bola Tinubu is seeking reelection. His party- the APC- captured power in 2015, after defeating the then ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) following a merger by some major opposition political parties then. His predecessor was Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, who died last year after a protracted illness.
The core essence or responsibility of government is to guarantee the welfare and security of the citizens. Unfortunately and very sadly, since the APC assumed power in 2015, the fortunes of Nigerians in terms of their welfare and security have continued to witness drastic downward slide and deterioration. Perhaps, the worst indicators are the areas of the economy and safety of lives and property. It was so bad that three years after Buhari's assumption of office, Nigeria overtook India as the poverty capital of the world, according to World Bank ratings. Such inglorious designation of Nigeria was the culmination of the pathetically poor leadership offered to the country by the Buhari administration. Ever since then, the country has not fared better. In fact, the story continues to assume worsening dimensions in every sector.
Tinubu assumed office in 2023 with the mantra of continuing from where Buhari, his predecessor, stopped. As a matter of fact, he made a huge success of his promise to Nigerians by deepening the misfortunes of a country which Buhari bastardised on multiple fronts before he exited office on May 29, 2023. Indeed, three years down the line, it's most obvious that Tinubu's government is not in contest with any other administration in Nigeria's history for the worst performing in every key ramification.
Putting it more elaborately, in terms of all socioeconomic indicators, security, health, governance and democratic milestones, the performances of the Tinubu regime could be anything but desirable. Without mincing words, his administration remains not just unimpressive, but it occupies the lowest level on the scale of performance. It's extremely disastrous impact could be roundly and aptly qualified as the worst by any government since Nigeria gained political sovereignty. As a matter of undeniable reality, Nigeria has never had it so terrible as under President Tinubu. This is precisely why Nigerians must never plunge the nation into further disaster by contemplating a second term for a grossly incompetent and uninspiring leader.
Why is a second term an anathema to President Tinubu? Why do I think that he is most undeserving of an opportunity to stay a day longer in Aso Rock Villa, as Nigeria's presidential power base is popularly called?
There are a plethora of reasons for this position and one is going to look at them as objectively and as dispassionately as possible.
Thoughtless Removal of Fuel Subsidy
That Tinubu's government has been poorly and ineffectually managing the country's economy is not in any doubt. On the occasion of his swearing-in at the Eagles Square in Abuja, in an impudent manner, he announced the removal of subsidy on petrol, a position he had publicly and vehemently opposed under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. This singular brash policy immediately torpedoed the normal lives of Nigerians. Soon, fuel pump prices jumped to outrageous levels, oscillating between N1,000 and N1,400 per litre in different parts of the country. There was no strategic, well-thought-out programme conceived to cushion the negative effects of the harsh policy.
High Transportation Costs
With fuel prices transcending N1,000 per litre following subsidy removal, transport fares rose outrageously. Transportation costs increased by as much as 300-500% on different routes. Cost of movement from one point to another became highly prohibitive. So many vehicle owners couldn't maintain their vehicles any longer as costs had jumped to the rooftop, becoming extremely unaffordable. High transportation costs took a heavy toll on prices of goods and services. It contributed substantially to the alarming inflationary trends in the country.
Floating of Naira
The economic difficulties imposed on Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy was compounded by another rash policy of floatation of the naira. The latter policy swiftly resulted in the nation's currency taking a catastrophic nosedive in loss of value. Within a couple of weeks, exchange rate of one dollar to naira exceeded one thousand of the latter. After a few months, the value of naira plummeted drastically reaching an all-time low of over N1,600 to $1.
The twin-policy of fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira automatically triggered the worst levels of economic crises in the nation's history, culminating in unprecedented inflation and poverty.
Astronomical Inflation
Inflationary trends surged to high heavens. Prices of essential goods and services skyrocketed beyond imagination. They simply went haywire, out of the reach of ordinary Nigerians. Food items and all other commodities had their prices increase astronomically. Some tripled while others quadrupled and quintupled. Purchasing power of the vast majority of Nigerians simply vanished and millions of people were plunged into destitution. Suddenly, most people could not afford their needs as drastic depreciation in the value of naira became the order of the day and prices soaring to high heavens.
A few examples of the hyper inflationary trends will suffice at this juncture. A loaf of medium-sized bread that used to sell for between N500 and N700 in 2022, now sells for between N2,000 and N2,500.
A bag of 50 kg rice that sold for N25,000 during the Buhari era sold for as much N100,000 under Tinubu before its gradual reduction to between N70,000 and N80,000.
The cost of a 50 kg bag of cement jumped from N4,000 it sold before Tinubu's misrule to N10,000. It presently oscillates between N12,000 and N15,000, depending on the location. Indeed, under Tinubu's infamous administration, prices of all goods and services literally rose to the sky, where they've remained unaffordable for most of the numerous poverty-stricken people.
Increase in Tariffs, Import Duties and Taxes
Besides removing fuel subsidy in pursuit of its anti-people policies, the government of Tinubu also took those harsh economic policies further by heavily increasing electricity and telecommunications tariffs, import duties and costs of many vital services provided by public institutions. Tuition fees payable by students in tertiary institutions were raised astronomically. There was also a most controversial tax regime that seeks to impose a wide spectrum of hard-hitting financial commitments on people's incomes and banking transactions. Soon, virtually all government services became exorbitant to access. Citizens had to pay through their noses before they could enjoy most of the services they hitherto had the government subsidising them. Under Tinubu's presidency, citizens are deprived of benefiting from the abundant resources which this country is endowed with. Unlike the era before now, and against the practices in other countries of the world, virtually nothing is subsidised by government for the citizens. This is as members of the political class, particularly public office holders, are having a swell time with the enormous resources placed at their disposal by a government that cares little about the common man.
Pervasive Acute Poverty
For a country already trapped in the extremely disturbing and discomforting web of chronic poverty, a country which had become notorious as the world's poverty capital under Tinubu's predecessor, the extensive range of harsh economic policies drove more Nigerians to the threshold of extreme poverty. Additional millions of Nigerians had been forced into multidimensional poverty with all these economic reform programmes which invariably continue to pool enormous funds into government coffers while impoverishing Nigerians.
The middle class had been completely eliminated in Nigeria since the Tinubu administration began implementing policies that stripped people of their resources, leaving them poor while the lower class had become totally destitute. Thus, as fuel subsidy removal, increases in electricity and telecommunications tariffs, taxes, tuition fees and import duties are reducing Nigerians to destitution, government at all levels and government officials across the country are brimming with financial buoyancy and prosperity. It's plainly a case of robbing Peter (people) to pay Paul (government).
In a nutshell, this is how best to describe the administration of President Tinubu. Under his leadership, Nigerians have been turned into beggars while government functionaries and their cronies are provocatively brandishing wealth largely acquired from taking advantage of their positions.
The poverty-inducing measures by Tinubu's administration have inevitably resulted in Nigeria becoming a country with the highest population of hungry people in the world. Millions of Nigerians do not know where their next meals will come from. Many, who used to populate the now extinct middle class struggle to provide one or two meals a day for their families. Majority of these extremely poor and hungry people are in Northern Nigeria, even as there are equally large numbers present in the Southern parts of the country. The magnitude of this challenge could be seen in how people are rushing to grab petty food items from politicians where off-season elections had been organised.
In all, Nigerians are today, under the APC-administration of President Tinubu, facing economic difficulties and hardships unprecedented in the history of the country. Over 140 million Nigerians are not only living below globally recognised poverty lines, they are in such state of rudderless hopelessness. They are not just wallowing in abject penury, they have no prospects of realising their yearnings and aspirations for decent living. Ironically, the government has introduced some programmes as safety nets which are unfortunately unable to effectively mitigate starvation, sufferings and hardships amongst millions of poverty-stricken people.
Industrial Closures and High Unemployment
The harsh economic policies of the Tinubu government had led numerous multinational corporations and manufacturing industries to shut down operations in the country, worsening the precarious economic conditions and unemployment levels. Some of the multinational companies had been in existence in the country for decades, but had to end their business operations under Tinubu's government owing largely to foreign exchange volatility, high costs of energy, skyrocketing inflation, poor consumer patronage and general unpredictability of the business climate in the country. Examples of the corporations that shut down their operations in the country either wholly or partially included GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria, Procter & Gamble, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Kimberley Clark, Diageo (major investors in Guinness Nigeria), Equinor, Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria and so on.
According to Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, in 2023 alone, 767 manufacturing companies across Nigeria shut down operations, culminating in close to 20,000 job losses. The reasons adduced for this unwholesome development bordered on the hostile economic climate either created or exacerbated by the untoward policies of the Tinubu government.
It's better to imagine what the effects of harsh government policies that resulted in hundreds (if not thousands) of industrial closures would exert on the establishment of new manufacturing industries and the levels of unemployment. As a matter of undeniable fact, the almost four years of Tinubu's administration remains the most investment-unfriendly in the history of Nigeria. This had substantially complicated economic hardships, poverty, hunger, job losses and unemployment in the count.
Widespread Insecurity and Banditry
Under Tinubu, Nigeria had continued to witness worsening insecurity across all the geopolitical zones of the country. Extremist insurgency, armed banditry, mass kidnappings for ransom, violent killings and clashes between herders and farmers, had all become the order of the day. Some territories are under the control of bandits, who are said to collect taxes and money for protection of people in those areas. Lives and property have become so unsafe and nowhere in the country is assumed to be free of violent criminal activities. Tens of thousands of people had been kidnapped, killed and seriously wounded in violent attacks across Nigeria since assumption of office by Tinubu more than three years ago. People had been abducted by heavily armed gangs from communities, schools and churches. Communities had come under fierce attacks with scores being killed.
As a matter of principle or practice, the president never or hardly visited any of the places attacked by bandits. His sympathies were often demonstrated in words couched as press releases by presidential media aides. Nigeria's situation in this dimension under Tinubu looks very much like the case of Emperor Nero who fiddled as Rome burnt. Very unfortunately, he appears to have no meaningful solution to the unprecedented security challenges bedevilling the entire country. Yet, this was the same man who called for resignation of then President Goodluck Jonathan just after the country recorded a single case of mass students' abduction. There's been multiple cases of school abductions under his administration and he's unfortunately sitting tight and even presenting himself for reelection.
Mountainous Debts
President Tinubu had plunged Nigeria into unprecedented debts. Under him, the country had become a debtor nation, having borrowed in less than three years what successive regimes did not borrow since the advent of the current democratic dispensation in 1999.
When he ascended office in May 2023, Tinubu inherited a total debt stock of approximately N87 trillion. Through indiscriminate borrowing, he accumulated a mountainous debt of over N80 trillion in just three years, increasing the nation's debt stockpile to over N160 trillion. This is notwithstanding the fact that, government revenues increased astronomically with the withdrawal of petroleum subsidies and substantial increases in basic tariffs, taxes and import duties. Very sadly, these huge borrowings and stupendous revenues accruing to government could not be justified with commensurate achievements in terms of infrastructural developments and other investments of critical value and importance.
Failed Promise of Improved Electricity Supply
After more than three in office, Nigerians still experience epileptic electricity supply from a man who promised them constant electricity, and enjoined them never to vote for him if he ever sought for reelection without fulfilling this promise.
Not only did Tinubu fail woefully to live up to his promise to ensure that Nigerians enjoyed constant electricity supply, the cost soared excessively. People are made to pay for exorbitant electricity bills, even as they experienced and suffered darkness for most of the time.
In a landmark step that clearly buttressed the failure of the Tinubu administration to provide Nigerians with constant electricity and foreclosed the attainment of same, it curiously opted for installation of a solar mini-grid system at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, at a whopping cost of N10 billion.
The consequences of the inability of the government to ensure constant electricity supply are dire for the economy. It continues to adversely affect the commercial and social activities of Nigerians, and to retard the nation's economic growth and progress. Therefore, poor electricity supply under the Tinubu administration, among other things, makes a complete mess of the much-touted reform programmes it claims to be pursuing.
Corrupt Practices and Malfeasance
Nigerians have come to massively believe that the two APC administrations of Buhari and Tinubu are synonymous with unbridled corruption, the degrees of what people considered as outlandish and unparalleled when compared with the experience under successive PDP regimes.
Evidence to this effect abound. Recent revelations about the current national budget testify eloquently to the widespread impressions that the government has perpetrated corruption beyond what Nigerians had ever imagined. Before now, Nigerians were used to a form of corruption commonly known as budget padding. Through this process, the leadership of executive and legislative arms of government allegedly siphoned public money with impunity. In the current budget, several billions of naira were allocated to areas that the government had no constitutional responsibility over, such as construction of churches, mosques and palaces of traditional rulers. Meanwhile, the budgetary provisions were approved under completely unrelated ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). This is commonly regarded as an abuse of the principles of appropriation of public resources in a plural, secular state.
There was also the scandalous case of allocation of funds in the budget to an agency unconvincingly described as fake and non-existent. Yet, the agency, known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), had a whopping N1.3 billion appropriated to it in the 2026 national budget.
Beyond poor implementation of budgets which have been running concurrently since 2024, there are numerous allegations of financial sleaze and unaccounted revenues associated with this government. There was a World Bank disclosure of a staggering N34.53 trillion revenue which the federal government deducted at source before distribution as first-line charges between 2023 and 2025, without proper information and breakdown. Before this, the nation's foremost revenue earner, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had an unreconciled humungous N210 trillion from its revenue and expenditure accounts as shown in its audited financial report covering 2017 to 2023. The APC government of President Tinubu is yet to take any serious steps to ensure that this highly controversial case was satisfactorily addressed in the interest of the country, as would have been done by every responsive and accountable government.
There are several other cases of suspicious transactions involving the federal government in the award of contracts without recourse to due process. The award of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway contract to a company owned by a close friend of the president is frequently cited in this regard. The approximately N16 trillion 750-kilometre contract was widely reported to have been awarded to Hightech Construction Company Limited in defiance of laid down rules for competitive bidding for contracts of such magnitude. Many Nigerians hold the strong view that ignoring the standard procedures for the award of contract of such gigantic proportion smacks of the government's disdain for transparency and accountability. This is besides the concerns expressed by several people regarding the necessity for such humongous project in a time when the massive networks of federal roads across the country are literally broken down and almost impassable.
Another major scandal linked to the APC-controlled federal government is the pipeline protection and surveillance contract awarded in 2022 to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, a company believed to be owned by a former Niger-Delta militant, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo. The contract, meant to curb oil bunkering, is widely perceived as a conduit pipe for government functionaries and some industry stakeholders. It gulps a whopping N48 billion annually. The commitment of the NNPCL and the APC-led Tinubu administration to the payment of such money guzzling contract raises grave concerns when juxtaposed with the apparent neglect of obligations to several other contractors engaged by the federal government. Against the backdrop that the federal government was reported to be indebted to several local contractors to the approximate tune of N4 trillion at a time, even with enormous revenues gave many observers great cause for worry. The federal government merely released less than 30% of the total capital budget of 2025, which could be described as woeful and unimpressive necessitating the rollover to 2026.
The impunity and accusations of malfeasance under the Tinubu regime started quite early in the life of his administration. One of the initial prominent cases was the scandal, involving the then Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, who was accused of having transferred public funds meant for vulnerable people amounting to N585 million into private accounts. There was deafening public outrage and the government had no option but to suspend her from office.
Financial Recklessness and Profligacy
Apart from these alleged major cases of corruption and misappropriation, the Tinubu administration is associated with expenditures widely perceived as reckless and profligate. One of such cases- the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway at an unprecedented contract cost- had been mentioned earlier. Embarking on a project of such humongous capital involvement when the nation was entangled in heavy financial difficulties, and existing federal roads in terrible conditions of disrepair, simply testified to the recklessness of the government. There was also the acquisitions of a new presidential jet that cost a nation in financial straits a whopping N160 billion and a completely unnecessary presidential yacht for another princely N5 billion.
Perhaps, it's important to stress that it was Tinubu's tragically poor performing predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who initiated the plan for the acquisition of a luxurious naval vessel while the actual procurement was effected under the present administration. It's on record that none of the nation's leaders prior to the APC era ever contemplated acquiring a presidential yacht, not even in the days when Nigeria's economy was booming.
At a time President Tinubu was lamenting that he inherited an economy in a comatose state, he proceeded to approve the purchase of the following vehicles: N70 billion for SUVs for National Assembly members at N160 million per member; N5 billion for SUVs in the presidential fleet; and N1.5 billion for SUVs for the unconstitutionally recognised office of the First Lady.
That is not all the expenditures approved by the president soon after coming to office and acknowledging publicly that the country was in a terrible financial position. N21 billion was earmarked for renovation of the official residence of the vice president and another N3 billion for the renovation of Aguda House in the Aso Rock Villa. Similarly, a huge sum of N4 billion was doled out to renovate Dodan Barracks in Lagos. Generally, till date, public funds are spent under President Tinubu without considerable regard for due process and through avenues that negate standard budgetary procedures and financial regulations.
Systemic Emasculation of Democracy
Under President Tinubu, Nigeria is gradually undergoing descent into authoritarianism. Impunity is becoming the order of the day, as the rule of law is taking the back seat. Rights of Nigerians are being gradually stifled. Protesters are visited with maximum force by security operatives with the use of teargas and live ammunitions. Security forces deploy every harsh means to quell peaceful protests, including arrests of minors. There was a particular instance of minors being arrested and charged with treason during a nationwide demonstration tagged #EndBadGovernance. There have been reported cases of crackdown on journalists who have been physically molested, arrested and detained. The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero had also suffered the high-handedness of the government, having been physically attacked and brutalised. He was once harassed and detained while travelling out of the country.
Security forces and anti-graft agencies have consistently descended on perceived enemies and opponents of the government. All of these have compelled some critics to compare the government with the late General Sani Abacha dictatorial regime.
There's also widespread allegation of executive capture of parallel democratic institutions under the present dispensation. Both the National Assembly and Judiciary are widely currently perceived as extensions of the executive arm of government. Instances abound to buttress the National Assembly as an appendage of the executive. Executive bills are passed by the legislature without being subjected to the rigorous process of due diligence. On several occasions, requests for external loans were granted with the speed of lightning. Perhaps, what exposed the tight grip of the federal government of Tinubu over the National Assembly was most evident in the haphazard manner the latter midwifed the amended Electoral Act which remains the worst electoral law passed in the history of democracy in Nigeria. Instead of improving the existing electoral law, the 10th National Assembly only succeeded in diminishing the potency of the law to enhance the prospects of the conduct of free, fair and credible election in the country. Ironically, it took just a few hours after its passage for the president to give his assent to the substantially bastardised law.
The judiciary is not spared of the perceivable control of the executive. Under the current regime, judgments of courts, particularly those in which governments have imminent interests, would almost likely be predictable. The remarkable lines demarcating the executive and judicial arms are fast being eroded since the APC took over the reins of leadership in the country. It actually became worse soon after Tinubu's ascension to office in 2023.
More worrisome is the fact that, under the Tinubu administration, the country is speedily gliding towards a one-party system. Virtually all opposition parties had been plunged into chaos with internal crises attempting to consume them. The ruling party is believed to have deployed hardly veiled divide-and-rule tactics to weaken all strong opposition political parties. Most of the time some officials and members of these parties are compromised to instigate internal crises which usually ended up in courts with near-certain outcomes. It's always rare for the courts to deliver judgment not in conformity with the predictable interests and expectations of the ruling government. In such cases, there would a pliant and compromised electoral umpire to confront; an umpire with a body language widely believed to be willing to bend towards the ruling party. This was particularly the case with the Labour Party (LP) which once had a court verdict given against the erstwhile National Chairman, Julius Abure in favour of Senator Nenadi Esther Usman. For months after the seeming unfavourable judgment to the ruling party, INEC refused to enforce the court order. It was only after Mr. Peter Obi, who was perceived to be the target of the whole plot, took his exit from the party that INEC proceeded to recognise the Senator Nenadi-led executive of Labour Party.
Recent activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shows that the electoral body is equally not spared of the tight grip of this administration. Much as the body had always subtly portrayed itself as lacking in independence, it is now openly suspected that it plays its statutory role according to the dictates of the ruling party.
From the day his appointment was announced as chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, who is reasonably believed by a wide spectrum of Nigerians to have sympathy for the All Progressives Congress (APC), countless stakeholders mostly from opposition parties protested vehemently. Nonetheless, the president did not bat an eye. He remained adamant. This is notwithstanding the fact that, it was the first time a serving president would appointment the head of an election umpire in Nigeria from his own ethnic background. Before Tinubu, this had never been witnessed. Expectedly, he was not perturbed by public criticisms and resentments generated over the appointment. Since then, the confidence of Nigerians in the electoral body continues to dwindle.
One must point out that one of the earliest signs of Tinubu's determination to turn the country into a one-party state was his efforts in winning over governor's elected on political platforms other than the APC to the ruling party at the centre. It was strongly alleged that those governors were wooed with humongous financial benefits. Thus, from 21 states controlled by the APC after the general election in 2023, Tinubu was able to attract more governors to decamp to his party, eventually propping up the number of APC-controlled states in the country to 31.
However, the most anti-democratic measure undertaken by President Tinubu was the declaration of a state-of-emergency in Rivers State, culminating in the sacking of elected officials and the appointment of a sole administrator. Not only was the elected governor suspended, the House of Assembly was equally shut and the members sent home for six months. The lame duck Senate was on hand to quickly ratify the undemocratic decision of the president which did not have any strong practical reason in support of it. That was the first since the advent of the current democratic journey that a state-of-emergency would be declared and it affected the State Assembly. This was done purely for selfish reasons that had no nexus with the interests of Rivers State people.
The president merely capitalized on the political misunderstanding or disagreement between Governor Sim Fubara and his godfather, former Governor Nyesom Wike, to dislodge the political structures which seemed to be amassing against his future ambition. Thus, the peaceful state had its democratic institutions and symbols dismantled to give way to the political calculations of Tinubu and Wike. In a nutshell, this was simply done to soothe the whims and caprices of some despots masquerading as democrats; a strategy to usurp political control and otherwise of the oil-rich state. Indeed, Tinubu's undemocratic stance had been sufficiently displayed in the past three and half years of his governance for everyone to see and clearly place him.
Nepotism and Bigotry
Tinubu was credited in a ThisDay newspaper of Sunday, April 13, 1997 at page 9, as saying that, "I Don't Believe in One Nigeria."
Ever since his emergence as president of Nigeria, his actions lend credence to this assertion of more than 30 years ago, suggesting his lack of confidence in the unity of the country. His lopsided appointments and overall patronage of his ethnic group or geopolitical zone are obvious reasons to assert that Tinubu is not only nepotistic, but a tribal bigot of the highest level. Virtually all key positions that are central to the economic management and development of the country are occupied by people from his Yoruba tribe. From the Minister of Finance to Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL to the Central Bank Governor to the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to Ministers of Marine and Blue Economy; Industry, Trade and Investment; Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, all are from the president's ethnic group. Other key ministries headed by fellow Yoruba people as ministers include: Ministry of Solid Minerals Development; Ministry of Power; Ministry of Interior; Ministry of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, etc. The president's tribe's dominance is also pronounced in the appointment of heads of security forces and law enforcement agencies.
There's definitely no justification for this high level of lopsided appointments. His predecessor pursued the same agenda and both of them ended up in running the country aground. This is because highly competent people abound across the country. All presidents of the country under the umbrella of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) were liberal in appointing competent people from across the country to positions of high responsibility. The results and impacts were evident. Under those administrations, Nigeria's economy enjoyed vibrancy, culminating in the country being rated at a time as the third fastest growing economy in the world after China and Qatar. Also, due to the adherence of President Olusegun Obasanjo to competence and capability in hiring officials of government, his administration was able to record the unprecedented achievement of debts relief by the Paris Club and the reduction of the country's foreign debts by over 60%. Through the robust experience and vast connections of financial expert like Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an Igbo, the government of Obasanjo was able to effectively utilise the excess proceeds from crude oil sales to pay upfront some of the outstanding external debts of the country. The innovative steps taken by the administration drastically brought down Nigeria's foreign debt from $36 billion to approximately $3.5 billion. This clearly shows how appointments without sticking to primordial sentiments of ethnicity and religion could be beneficial to the entire country rather than to a specific section.
Under President Tinubu, projects' allocation and location have also followed this same pattern of favouritism that tilts more towards serving the greater interests of his Yoruba people. He had favoured an agenda that took landmark projects with huge financial implications to the South West geopolitical zone. Furthermore, some important government offices had been relocated from Abuja to Lagos. The most prominent ones are the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and some key departments in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This measures are seen more as motivated by the president's tribal inclination than any necessity to promote effective corporate governance. Obviously, these are not the best approach for the maximisation of the immense potentials of the country by a leader, who, ordinarily should be a nationalist.
Master of Deception
President Tinubu is commonly described as a master strategist. This might not be faulted depending on the context of such description. From his records, it might also not be out of place to ascribe to him the designation of a master of deception. The reasons for this depiction are many.
In November 2024 and slightly afterwards, the federal government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) flew a kite over Nigerians by selling to them what eventually turned out to be a hoax. First, it was that the Port Harcourt refinery had been successfully resuscitated and was commencing operations. Thereafter, the same tale was also told of Warri refinery. These were greeted with fanfares and paparazzi media or publicity. Many Nigerians went wild in celebration of the "uncommon feat" of raising the "dead" and moribund refineries by the government of a "master strategist." Meanwhile, the hullabaloo soon died. Billions had been expended. The refineries were never actually revived. They remained out of operations. As election season is underway, the same government that celebrated the rehabilitation of the refineries nearly two years ago has suddenly recovered its loud voice to announce that the refineries would soon become operational.
Tinubu runs a government that is proficient in not keeping to its words. In fact, he is the one who makes a promise and is quick to renege on same. Prior to the 2023 general election, he assured Nigerians that he would guarantee the supply of electricity to them on a 24-hour basis and that they should never vote for him if he fails to deliver on this promise. With the next general election only five months away, it's obvious that Tinubu has failed woefully to deliver on his promise. Yet, he remains desperate to be re-elected for another term. Is this not a clear deception? Perhaps, what he also has in his head just like most Nigerian politicians is, "tell the people whatever they will like to hear just to have your way."
Recently, a delegation of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) paid a visit to the president in the Aso Rock Villa, his official abode. During the visit, the Bishops told the president unimpeachable truths about the state of the nation, particularly as the economy and insecurity are adversely affecting Nigerians. Instead of informing the Bishops whatever his government is doing to guarantee the wellbeing and security of Nigerians, perhaps, with a promise to redouble his efforts, he merely denied the existence of the pictures painted by the Catholic prelates. In fact, he made efforts to demonise his guests as if they had come to lie against him about the wonderful things his government had done. In actual fact, it was obvious that the Bishops conveyed to him exactly what the president knew as the predicaments of Nigerians under his administration. Unfortunately, he had to put up a pretence that had become a familiar trend for his government.
What is more deceptive than someone who is contesting to rule the country a second time to claim that he did not attend primary and secondary schools? That President Tinubu left the columns for his primary and secondary school qualifications blank is, perhaps, the height of deception. Yet, this was a man who reportedly completed those columns with doubtful information when he contested previous elections.
The same man was reported to have approached the court in far away United States of America to block the release of official documents involving him which were in the custody of relevant authorities in that country. This is unimaginable. Will anyone, particularly a public figure, ever contemplate hiding his records from the public? It can only take someone with skeletons in his cupboard to do any such reprehensible thing. This is sheer hypocrisy and deception rather than a demonstration of mastery of strategy.
Conclusion
From the above avalanche of reasons backed with incontestable facts, I have tried to assert why Nigerians of good conscience must not renew the mandate of President Tinubu in the forthcoming election. The points advanced in this comprehensive essay are quite strong and compelling for a people who are serious about their future and wellbeing.
Tinubu had performed woefully in his first term. He exhibited gross inability to impact positively and meaningfully on the lives of Nigerians, notwithstanding the unprecedented resources at his disposal. Through fuel subsidy removal and unparalleled resources acquired from foreign loans, he was still unable to tackle the fundamental challenges of poverty and insecurity confronting the vast majority of Nigerians. The essence of every government is to guarantee the welfare and security of citizens. Where this is impossible to achieve, the government has obviously failed. A leader who has demonstrated the incapacitation to improve the wellbeing and security of the people cannot be said to be deserving of any renewal of mandate. Failure cannot be renewed or reinforced. A second term is meant only to extend the visible good dividends and achievements of a performing leader, one who is verily living up to people's expectations.
Mandate cannot be renewed simply on the plank of a hope that could remain only but a mirage. Buhari's mandate was renewed in 2019 when he and the APC promised that they would be taking the country to "Another Level." Unfortunately, he wasted another four years and left the country worse than ever imagined. If Nigerians had ended Buhari's misrule in 2019 and possibly elected a better leader, the country would definitely not be in the terrible state that it's trapped today.
Nigerians must not afford to commit the same blunder we committed in 2019 by renewing the mandate of a visibly poorly performing leader. Tinubu has sufficiently shown that he does not have what it takes to retrieve the sinking economy of Nigeria. He is worse in guaranteeing the nation's security. What else do we want from a man who cannot even visit the scenes of mayhem perpetrated against innocent and harmless Nigerians by heartless bandits and terrorists? He's grossly incompetent and incapable.
Nigerians must not be deceived with the unjustifiable claims that his reforms need time to bear fruits and make desired impact. It was the same fairy tales told when they desperately wanted second term for Buhari. These people who are saying this about Tinubu's untoward and unproductive reforms are either seeking the president's attention or are benefiting from his government. Everyone knows that any economic policy which pauperises virtually all citizens is useless. You cannot invent an economic plan that impoverishes people, stripping them bare of their earnings through high costs of energy and general galloping inflation and describe same as a meaningful and productive reform. The fact that the new arrangement places enormous resources at the disposal of government officials does not necessarily make it a good and desirable reform programme. Any policy initiative which would debase rather than improve public lives as we had witnessed in over three years now cannot be considered worthwhile. Subjecting people to abject poverty over a long period of time in the guise of pursuing economic reform is unacceptable. Nigerians must be determined never to allow Tinubu spend a day beyond May 29, 2027, as his economic reform guarantees maximum comfort for the political class while the rest of the citizenry wallow in destitution.
Tinubu does not deserve a second term. Let's send him packing to retrieve the bits and pieces of our battered lives.
*OLUMBA contributes this piece from Owerri, the heartbeat of Eastern Heartland.
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