This column originally appeared in Vanguard
While complaining about knee-jerk Nigerian defeatism on this page last week, I pointed out that it’s ridiculous for Nigerians to throw their hands up in despair or resignation and assume that domineering leaders are omnipotent, invincible and in complete control.
I said that whenever people assure me that Tinubu will definitely win next year’s election by a landslide via rigging, even though he is extremely unpopular, I tell them that world history is full of examples of unwanted “strongmen” who have been toppled by People Power.
And it seems important to repeat this reminder because most of the Nigerians I’ve bumped into this week – or spoken to on the phone – have told me that they are very frightened about the security crisis, very anxious about their fragile finances and just generally depressed.
But these citizens who have lost faith in Nigeria are the very same citizens who can’t be bothered to join the Opposition fight back against Tinubu’s government. They’d rather be passive complainants because they think that protest will be a complete waste of time.
But there is evidence that societies and political landscapes can be radically changed when The People decide to stop tolerating crap!
The British, Russians and French have executed mighty monarchs who were absolutely convinced that they had a divine right to rule. The Syrians exiled the grasping, ruthless and destructive Assad family after enduring a father and son dictatorship for 54 years.
East Germans were liberated from Soviet tyranny when the notorious Berlin Wall was dismantled after 28 years…the same amount of time the heroic Nelson Mandela spent in prison before he triumphantly emerged to establish black majority rule in South Africa.
I am not saying that Tinubu should be executed or driven into exile. Just that we CAN prevent him from continuing for another 4 years by insisting that he retires and hands over to whoever wins the election.
Tinubu’s White Enablers
I am so tired of international organisations – World Bank, IMF, EU, UK Government and others! – insisting that Tinubu is doing well.
Their constant applause for his mediocre macroeconomic reforms is bizarre, if you ask me. They are totally (and selfishly) obsessed by the fact that some foreign investors find the status quo appealing.
They barely mention Tinubu’s obscenely humongous borrowings…or the many victims of abductions and assassinations. They don’t seem too concerned about widespread hunger and beheaded generals and teachers…or the terrified schoolchildren trembling in captivity.
Even Trump – who used to berate this government for failing to save us from terrorists – has piped down in recent months. Some say that his silence was triggered by generous fees paid to American lobbyists who are close to him. Even if this allegation is unfair, it is still disappointing to observe his waning interest in the continued attacks on villages and destruction of entire communities, especially in the North.
READ ALSO: SWEET AND SOUR: Naija Negativity
I guess it is all about them white folks and their cynical, self-serving partnerships with a president most Nigerians have grown to hate.
Thought-Provoking Response
A few weeks ago, on one of my Youtube videos, I wondered why President Tinubu gives people who have insulted him public-facing jobs.
Someone whose social media handle is @Zhomie responded thus:
“To understand why Tinubu likes to appoint his traducers to speak/work for him, you have to first understand his mindset, & by extension, the mindset of the Nigerian politician: The Nigerian politician thinks ONLY of elections. Regime protection is their primary aim, the people are secondary. To sustain their regime or win elections, they have to beat the opposition. To beat the opposition, they have to prove to voters that the opposition really has nothing better to offer, but are only interested in taking over because they’re power drunk. To prove this to voters, they hire the loudest opposition voices by making juicy offers they can’t refuse, to get them to eat their words. & when they agree to work for them, it creates 2 narratives in the minds of voters & has the following effects on voters:
1). “The opposition isn’t really better, they’re all the same & all lack genuine political ideologies.”
2). “The incumbent isn’t really as bad as the opposition paints them; The opposition’s criticisms were just them playing politics.
“ If voters think these of the opposition, it then makes them nonchalant towards voting, afterall, “They’re all cut from the same cloth”, “It’s all about their selfish parochial interests”, “Politics is a game, they’re playing it by any means – including lying about each other – to win it”, etc.
Therefore, on the contrary, Tinubu isn’t stupid, he knows exactly what he’s doing”.
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Two days ago, in this week’s Nigeria Unfiltered video, I talked about the political demise of Keir Starmer, the 6th UK Prime Minister in 10 years, and compared British intolerance of poor leadership with Africans’ endless patience with the likes of Tinubu and Museveni.
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