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Tinubu a symbol of collective suffering
Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been a politician for the better part of his life. He has the uncanny reputation of seeking to do the impossible, in very difficult circumstances. By his own declarations, the presidential ambition has been in the works for a very long time, so he was well prepared for the job and nobody should pity or cry for him. We were taught that the best way to know somebody is through what other people say about him, what he does and what he says about himself.
This piece is a simple analysis of the impact of Tinubu’s government upon the people of Nigeria since May 29, 2023, when he commenced his four-year tenure. The President gave out himself as a progressive, by which term it is understood that he will implement programmes and policies that will lead to major and remarkable improvements in the lives of the people.
The President is seen as a welfarist, judging by his eight-year tenure as governor of Lagos State, during which time his supporters claimed that he executed people-oriented programmes of mass transit, that he revolutionized the judicial sector and even increased the internally generated revenue of the State. You will have a hard time convincing them that he was not a thorough democrat as they will cite examples of his legal battles to enthrone true federalism, when he pioneered the creation of local government development areas and dared the federal government.
You will not be able to convince his fans that the President as governor of Lagos State could not guarantee water supply to many homes, that he was not able to arrest the incidences of cultism, the ‘area boys’ syndrome and that he did nothing to upgrade the various slums that litter the State beyond primitive land acquisition and reallocation.
The governance structure in Nigeria is designed to deliver durable infrastructure and guarantee inclusive government for the people. This is clearly the purport of Chapter 2 of the Constitution. In its various sections, the Constitution provides for a government of the people, for the people and by the people.
Section 13 enjoins all persons exercising legislative, executive and judicial authorities to uphold the provisions of the Constitution. Section 14 (1) states clearly that the Nigerian State shall be governed on the principles of democracy and social justice, while section 14 (2) (a) gives ultimate power (sovereignty) to the people.
Section 14 (3) prohibits nepotism by stating that the composition of the Government of the Federation and indeed the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and to promote national unity, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few States or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government. What do we have in the current Tinubu dispensation?
The judiciary is headed by the South-West, the Army is headed by the South-West, the police is headed by the South-West, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is headed by the South-West, the Immigration is headed by the South-West, the Customs is headed by the South-West, the FIRS is headed by the South-West, the Governor of Central Bank is from the South-West, the Comptroller-General of the Correctional Centre is from the South-West and the Minister of Petroleum (Tinubu) is from the South-West. In simple terms, the South-West region of Nigeria controls the executive, the judiciary, the security and the finance architectures.
This is one of the causes of constant agitation in the land, when the leader in power sees himself as the representative of his region alone. And as if following Tinubu’s example, I was shocked to read that in the composition of the new governing councils of federal universities, Adamawa, the home-state of the Minister of Education, produced a whopping 22 chairmen. Section 15 (2) requires the President to promote national integration and to avoid all forms of discrimination. For this to happen, the government will provide adequate facilities for and encourage free mobility of people, goods and services throughout the Federation.
But you and I know that the roads are not motorable and even when they are, the fear of terrorists will not encourage people to use the roads. In section 15 (3) (b), the government is to secure full residence rights for every citizen in all parts of the Federation. Some weeks ago, it was reported in the news that the Lagos State Government gathered persons suspected to be from Osun State into a truck and dropped them off in Osogbo to go back to their State. This is not new.
Should other States of the Federation retaliate this gesture, there will be crisis everywhere. Section 15 (5) enjoins the government to abolish all forms of corrupt practices and abuse of power. Since the advent of the Tinubu administration, the State Security Service (SSS) has been let loose on Nigerians. The agency invaded a court in Ota area of Ogun State to arrest litigants right inside the court. Journalists are languishing in various detention centres on account of their professional engagements. The sad impression being conveyed by the President and his team is that might is right.
Section 16 (1) (a) directs the government to harness the resources of the nation to promote national prosperity and an efficient, dynamic and self-reliant economy, with equality of status and opportunity granted to all citizens. The question to ask is this: what is the current state of the Nigerian economy?
Inflation is at its highest ever (33%), energy cost has gone beyond reach, many companies are closing down due to negative economic factors and the unemployment rate is rising daily. The ballooning exchange rate has worked to cripple many businesses, with the unfortunate result that purchasing power has dwindled drastically whilst the cost of living has quadrupled.
This has led to mass exodus of Nigerians to other climes in search of greener pastures. In section 16 (1) (b), the State is directed to control the national economy in such a manner as to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity. I am pretty sure you can resolve this issue yourself, if you go by the increasing cases of suicide, mental illness, broken homes and crime rate.
From being the happiest people on earth a while ago, most Nigerians have been turned into emergency beggars, barely able to eke out a decent living. If you get fifty messages in one day, forty of them must come from those who claim not to have eaten the whole day or to have medical bills to settle or they need your support to pay their children’s school fees or settle their accommodation bills.
The fuel subsidy removal has only worked to pauperize the people, creating lamentations in various homes and businesses. Section 16 (2) states that the government shall ensure that the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good. Nigeria has oil and gas in very large quantities but they are not harnessed for the benefit of the people.
If you go to the Niger-Delta area you will see degradation and the wicked effects of oil production and pollution on the ecosystem. We also have gold, bitumen and other natural and mineral resources. The real issue is that our leaders are not deploying these huge resources for the common good.
In section 16 (2) ©, the government is to ensure that the economic system is not operated in such a manner as to permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of a few individuals.
It is the opposite that operates presently, as the same people who control the banks also control the real estate sector, they play in the oil and gas sector, they dominate the power sector and indeed all other important sectors of the Nigerian economy. It is a circle of friends who have not allowed and will not allow any outsider to invade their “privacy”.
In particular and for loud emphasis, section 14 (2) (b) states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government. And this is the real deal. Or how do you promote the welfare of people by keeping them in perpetual darkness without electricity?
I cannot remember anytime that we have enjoyed stable power supply for up to one week since May 29, 2023 when Tinubu was sworn in. We are currently experiencing the worst in power supply because all we hear across the land is the sound of generators.
To make matters worse, the government empowered the power distribution companies to extort money from their consumers, when the nebulous Band A group was purportedly created, with the assurance of 18-22 hours of power supply everyday. It was only a clever design to milk the people dry, given that those who are touted to be in Band A have since confirmed the scheme to be false.
The Tinubu administration has not done anything to improve the lives of Nigerians since it assumed office. Insecurity is at its worst and nobody is ever sure of who is next but for God. Nigeria is presently an open field of suffering such that even those who have are themselves victims. No government should pride itself for foisting suffering on its citizens.
Adegboruwa, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is a rights activist and human rights crusader
“He is running in contempt of the court. Justice Lifu should be arrested because he is acting in contempt of the court which is a criminal act,” were the exact words with which the African Democratic Congress (ADC), demonstrated its angst over the court ruling on Monday, ordering its de-registration as a political party in Nigeria.
A furious Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, told his host while appearing as a guest on Monday’s edition of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television that the judge of the Abuja Federal High Court who gave the order was actually playing with fire because of the consequences.
Directly accusing him of playing the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to ensure that President Bola Tinubu emerged the sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election, the party spokesman, was emphatic that the plan would not work, as head or tail, ADC must be on the ballot in all the elections.
Hear him: “There is a Court of Appeal order saying don’t hear this case until October 27. So, on what basis? You can’t place something on nothing. The Court of Appeal said don’t act on this until I hear it on October 27. So, on what basis did he deliver the judgement
“So, for us in the African Democratic Congress, what we’re convinced and they know is what they have done has no leg to stand on legally. What they want to do is to create doubts in the minds of the people that this ADC has too many legal cases, can we actually run on this? And to distract us. But we’re not distracted.
“We’re very clear. It was in spite of all they have done since ADC came on board that we ran one of the best and one of the most comprehensive direct primaries in the history of democracy in Nigeria. So, we are strong enough to withstand this. And that’s why I’m saying that we are going to contest in 2027. We’re ADC. We don’t buckle before dictatorship.”
Stressing on the implication of the judgement, which also affected Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for allegedly failing to meet constitutional and electoral performance requirements, following a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators, he said it portended grave danger.
He added: “We are not surprised. We know that the Nigerian people believe that there is a problem with the judiciary, but what we did not expect is the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated today.
“What we are saying is that we reject it in its totality, and we are saying that the people behind this are playing with fire. Hundreds, if not thousands, have obtained nomination forms and contested elections and emerged as candidates on the platform of the ADC.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in the 2027 presidential election, is peeved at the decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordering the de-registration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying the move is a heavy blow and dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy.
Justice Peter Lifu, who made the order, based on an action brought by National Forum of Former Legislators, agreed that the parties, including Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), failed to meet the requirement for continued existence in Nigeria.
But Obi, who left the ADC coalition to join the NDC, incidentally, based on what he explained resulted from the multiple court cases hanging on its neck, expressed his disenchantment, in a statement by the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), on Monday.
Signed by Ibrahim Umar, its spokesman, the group quoted the former Governor of Anambra State as decrying the growing damage to the nation’s sacred institutions on the altar of politics.
Stressing that the rise of nations depended on stronger institutions devoid of political influences, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, wrote on his X platform: “When the controversy surrounding the removal of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, unfolded, I expressed a concern to a friend: that the greatest damage might not be immediate, but the message it sends about the sanctity and independence of our institutions to the world.
“Strong economies are built on trust. Investors can manage security risks, policy risks, and even market risks. What they fear most is uncertainty in the rule of law and a judiciary that is perceived to be vulnerable to political pressure.
“Today, many Nigerians have lost confidence in systems that should protect them. Businesses increasingly request that their contracts be governed by foreign jurisdictions because they have greater confidence in those institutions than in our own. That should concern every patriot.
“We must never sacrifice our sacred institutions on the altar of politics. Nations rise when institutions are stronger than individuals. The Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the ADC and other political parties is just one of those activities that further reduces the common man’s trust in our legal systems. It should be reversed.
“I pledge that we will restore the dignity, independence, and integrity of the judiciary. The common man must have a voice. The business community must be protected from legal uncertainty and intimidation. Justice must be impartial, accessible, and respected by all. To our judges, legal luminaries, senior advocates, and lawyers: this is your moment. Rise, defend the rule of law, take back your country! A new Nigeria is POssible.”
Not even Lamine Yamal’s second half introduction could help Spain break through the defence of debutants, Cape Verde, in their first ever meeting, as the ongoing World Cup event produced another one of the stunning results on Monday.
Yamal, the Barcelona superstar just recovering from a near two-month hamstring injury, was brought into the game in the second half to zest up the one-time world champion, but failed to break down the Cape Verde’s dogged defence.
Spain’s in the game played in Atlanta, one of the cities hosting the three-nation Mundial, displayed the same dismal outing, which saw them offering far less than the quality, which saw them lifting the trophy for the first time in 2010.
The European champions, which have not won a knockout game ever since, failed to dominate the African side, replicating their less than impressing outings and their eventual exit in 2018 and 2022 editions, even with the claims of coach Luis de la Fuente that the squad was the best in the competition, Spain were considered among the pre-tournament.
Neither Yamal nor Nico Williams, who also was hit by an injury-disrupted season at Athletic Bilbao and was not introduced until the 87th minute, were able to rise to the occasion against the 500,000 people African side, ranked 67 in the world, which is making their debut on the global stage.
In stark contrast to the searing temperatures faced by some other sides, Atlanta’s state-of-the-art air conditioned stadium meant there was no excuses for the slow tempo of Spain’s build-up.
Indeed the mid-half hydration break was met by boos with fans frustrated at the break in play despite the cool conditions.
The only serious move from the European champions only came at the sixth minute to half-time, when Marc Cucurella, fresh for sealing his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, sent over a teasing cross that Ferran Torres turned onto the crossbar and Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha got back on his feet to turn Mikel Oyarzabal’s looping header over the bar.
Even after the break, the Blue Sharks, were also able to hold back from the onslaught as they did in the first half, where Vozinho, managed to make another superlative save against Aymeric Laporte’s header just before half-time.
Despite the excitement from the crowd after he was introduced, Yamal, billed as one of the stars of the tournament, failed to create any magic with his first touch being the set-up of a decent opening for fellow substitute Mikel Merino which was too close to Vozinha.
In fact, Cabo Verde billed to take on Uruguay in Miami, nearly snatched a famous victory in the final minute of the 90 when Dani Borges planted a header too close to Unai Simon, who saved the occasion, to prevent the former world champions, billed to face Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday from humiliation.
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