How to ruin a country

In a democracy, Presidents who want to be remembered for worthy causes often start by laying their plans with care and introspection, knowing that history certainly, will judge every leader. Secondly, great leaders don’t fail to game out what happens next or in the future. That means a deliberate effort to plan how to deal with several scenarios of unpleasant situations and gauge out the outcomes with informed decision-making.

Failing to do any or all of these situations, have led many presidents to run aground in the office. Some of them have ruined their country in the process because of lack of foresightedness. It’s unfortunate, and indeed, disturbing, that every incumbent president in Nigeria since 1999, seems to have been worse than his predecessor.



I had thought that after 8 years as president, that Muhammadu Buhari would go down in history as the worst leader that Nigerians have had the misfortune of having. I also thought that no elected president after Buhari would surpass his unhidden crass nepotism. And I said so many times in this column.

But, time and circumstance seem to have proved me wrong. I never knew that in less than two years in office, President Bola Tinubu, who once prided himself as a democrat would push the envelope beyond what is acceptable in a democracy. Let’s not forget that as a presidential candidate, Tinubu was sold to Nigerian voters as a magic bullet, if elected, would revitalise our economy that Buhari left in ruins, and find solutions to intractable insecurity across the country.

It was also believed that if elected President, Tinubu will unite us rather than divide us, ensure inclusivity and stability in the polity. He was falsely packaged as someone who will make better things happen, and prevent worse things from happening, a leader who will reduce economic hardship and make Nigerians feel a sense of belonging. Now, we have the worst things unimaginable happening in Nigeria.

That’s why Eedris Abdukareem’s protest song, “Tell your Papa”, a rallying cry against the extreme hardship in the country, remains relevant, despite the ban by the National Broadcasting Commission(NBC). googletag.cmd.

push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1718806029429-0'); }); As Novel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka said, the ban represents a return to the “culture of censorship and a threat to right of free expression. I suspect that a time may pretty soon come when husbands will take permission from Aso Rock’ before they sleep with their wives.

Beyond this, insecurity is squeezing everyone to a corner. The country risks being overrun by terrorists. Lt-Gen.

TY Danjuma has complained bitterly about the present danger, not only in his home state of Taraba. Plateau state is still boiling. Sunday Sun(April 13) said it all in its front page, “Nigerians are losing hope as situation worsens nationwide”.

On all counts, and in less than two years, Nigeria is collapsing under Tinubu’s watch. Democracy is threatened more than ever before. And, you ask, why? Was Tinubu sold to Nigerian voters in 2023 as an overblown, complex solution to Nigeria’s problems? In almost two years since he was sworn in, his policies have made worse things happen in virtually every sector of our national life.

Like a bikini that reveals more than it can hide, Tinubu has shown us by his actions, who he truly is, a president for a section of the country, not a president for all Nigerians. His key political appointments tell the story: Of about 140 key political appointments, over 80 are Yoruba. That’s why someone came up with a headline last week, “All hail President of the Yoruba nation”.

This is not far from the truth, despite desperate attempts by some of his media aides to the contrary. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.

adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); Their denial was in response to the allegation by Sen. Ali Ndume(Borno North), of lopsided political appointments by the president in favour from his ethnic stock.

Evidence supports Ndume’s claims. Clearly, the lopsided nature of choice political appointments, is one of the telling signature policies of Tinubu presidency. As Sen.

Ndume and others have said, this is in breach of the Constitution of the Federal Republic, and a clear violation of federal character principle enshrined in the Constitution, specifically section 14(3). That section says that the “composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies”. The South East is the worst marginalized in political appointments in Tinubu’s government.

Does the President has some scores to settle with the Igbo? Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe was strikingly accurate when he described the president’s high-handedness against the Igbo as “renewed shege”. Loosely translated, it means to deal heartlessly with someone for no justifiable reason.

Again, why, in spite of the clear provision of section 14(3), has the president continued to violate the provisions of the Constitution that he swore to uphold? The answer is in the Egyptian proverb: They asked Pharaoh, what made you a tyrant”? He answered, “because nobody stopped me”. That was what made the President to declare emergency rule in Rivers state, and removed the elected Governor, the Deputy and members of the state legislature in clear breach of relevant sections of the Constitution. All of these unhealthy developments are red flags of a collapsing nation.

What are these signs? A recent research by Dambise Muyo, a respected global economist, itemised these signs to include weaker voter participation, too much influence of money in politics, weakening the pillars of democracy, overbearing influence of the Executive arm, a weaker and pliable at the dictates of the rich and powerful. Every institution of relevance to democracy appears to have been bought. Other signs are political corruption, loss of faith in democratic institutions, weakening of the opposition parties from within, and making the news media no longer the fount of objective information required for a flourishing democracy.

Are these red flags not obvious in our politics today? That’s why President Tinubu should be closely watched. As historian Will Durant said, “a great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within”. Until now, I didn’t know President Tinubu would prefer to shoot before aiming.

That’s very sad, indeed. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.

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