By Emeka Alex Duru
My friend and colleague, Dr. Promise Adiele, read my mind in his piece of Wednesday, November 19, 2025, titled “Tinubu: To be or not to be – that is the question”. In it, Adiele did a robust analysis of the governance challenges in the country and the inability of the Bola Tinubu administration to confront the situation. Adiele raised the question of whether Tinubu should resign as President or not, pointing out, of course, that either of the options has corresponding consequences.
"Four Nigerian soldiers were also cut down in their prime. In the same week, terrorists and bandits easily kidnapped 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State. The dastardly action was effortlessly carried out and no one harassed the terrorists, much less resisted them. They killed the vice-principal of the school and other teachers.
While concerned citizens of the country were deeply wounded by the sad developments in the country, Mr. President sent his vice, Kashim Shettima, and other political heavyweights to Kogi State to welcome politicians who had just defected to the ruling APC. On his part, Mr. President was busy welcoming the Duke of Edinburgh and having photo sessions with him in Abuja”.
This is the crux of the matter and the reality of Nigeria under Tinubu. The outlook is stark and one in which the leaders play the fiddle while the country burns. There can be no better definition of callousness. Let us recap some of the gruesome developments in the last couple of days to appreciate the extent of lethargy and irresponsibility by the leadership class in the face of the emergencies.
Nigerians woke on Monday, November 17, to the news of the attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, GGCSS, Maga in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, Kebbi that resulted to killing of the Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Yakubu Makuku and abduction of 25 students of the institution. Makuku, it was learned, was shot while attempting to protect the students during the invasion.
There have been different versions of the story. Kebbi State Police Command in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi, claimed that the attackers had invaded the school and engaged the personnel on duty in a gun duel but succeeded in taking the girls from their hostel. Independent sources however said the bandits operated without resistance. This is more plausible, given the relative ease at which the hoodlums have always operated without confrontation by security agencies.
Still the same period, militants from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) released video footage of how they executed a senior Nigerian army officer, Brigadier-General Musa Uba of the 25 Task Force Brigade, who was captured during a deadly ambush on a military convoy. The convoy was returning from a patrol near Wajiroko village in northeastern Borno state when it came under sustained gunfire, from the militants.
Four military personnel were also confirmed killed in the attack. Also, just last Tuesday, gunmen killed some worshippers and abducted several others, including a pastor, during an attack on the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, on Tuesday. Online clip of the incident captured the moment the assailants invaded the church.
The Kebbi incident took place barely two days after at least 16 vigilante members were killed and 42 residents kidnapped in separate attacks by bandits in the Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State. Also, on Saturday, armed gangs attacked Fegin Baza village in the Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing three persons and abducting at least, 64 others.
In another attack on Sunday, criminals launched assault on Tsohuwar Tasha village in the Ruwan Doruwa Ward of Maru Local Government, also in Zamfara, abducting 14 people, including 11 women and three children. Same Sunday, armed men reportedly abducted several passengers along the Ogobia-Adoka Road in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. Altogether, more than145 Nigerians were kidnapped in Kebbi, Niger and Zamfara states within four days.
These are statistics that should give any leader worth the title cause for worry. But not in Tinubu’s Nigeria of today. Rather, while the nation bleeds, the President and his men are concerned more about returning for another term in 2027. On Tuesday, while the nation bled, the Vice President Kashim Shettima was dispatched to Kogi State to receive defecting Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bad as it was to embark on such a mission at that particular point in time, it rankled more seeing Shettima enthuse that he would be going back to Abuja to deliver the message to Tinubu that his victory in 2027 is total. On their part, the two factions of the opposition PDP, led by Nyesom Wike (Federal Capital Territory Minister) and Tanimu Turaki, were in Abuja fighting over the control of the party, in utter disregard to the innocent Nigerians killed under circumstances that were not of their making. These are the heartless leaders presiding or aspiring to preside over the country.
Thus, when those who clearly understand the dangerous dimension the country is taking warn that Nigeria is toeing the path of Somalia, they know what they are saying. Somalia is a country that ideally has everything going for it but has failed to utilise any of the factors that should have worked in its favour. That is a country of one religion, one language, one ancestry. But because it lacks the political will and visionary leadership, Somalia has remained a reference point for state failure.
It has in fact, slipped to a collapsed state, where law and order are on flight and the citizens live at the mercy of war lords. Nigeria is presently at that point of lawlessness. The US President, Donald Trump, could not have been wrong in dismissing us as a disgraced nation. No matter how the categorization pains, Tinubu and his men and lending weight to it by their actions and inactions.
Ironically, events had not reached this worrisome level when Tinubu, then in opposition, through his official Twitter handle, on November 6, 2014, urged the then President Goodluck Jonathan to resign. In the tweet Tinubu stated; “Why should any part of this country be under occupation?
In any civilised country, Jonathan should resign”. He had earlier on April 14, 2014, tweeted “The festering Boko Haram attacks on the North East and massacre of innocent citizens is concrete proof that Nigeria has no government”. Nigeria, currently under Tinubu, is in a more piteous bend, with insecurity and hardship boxing the citizens to a corner.
Sadly enough, the President is not doing much to arrest the drift. All that matters to him is cajoling, coercing and blackmailing the spinless governors and other timorous elected members of the opposition to cross over to the APC to smoothen the way for his reelection without contest in 2027.
How he hopes to continue ruling over a system that is dangerously tilting towards a wasteland, is a question he can only answer.
*Duru is a commentator on public issues
No comments:
Post a Comment