Let me wager that all the true Omoluabis are in retreat right now. The ‘real’ ones never joined the Tinubu train ab initio, anyway. The borderline ones who would give Bola Tinubu a chance, hoping to see whether just maybe there’s something they missed, are completely disillusioned now, after only one year.
To all right-thinking Yoruba, Tinubu’s one year presidency has more than convinced them that it’s a dead end here. Zilch. Finito. No brainer. Tragedy. From a chorus of ‘Yoruba ro’nu’ a year ago to ‘Yoruba n sukun’ right now. Every true Yoruba (not omo ale) is heart broken right now.
Sorry to say that this column warned and even wept about this day. But the rump of the Yoruba nation would prefer to showcase its ugliest face. It would rather shoot itself in the crotch. There were always far better alternatives (including Yemi Osinbajo) but one of the most brilliant races in the world would cave in to a lilliput when it mattered most in their epoch. It says something about the Yoruba character and essence, of course.
Rather one of us than an outsider. Omo eni kii se idi bebere … they would chant. But which wise man would beatify and make an heir of a frail, broken child who would lead his kingdom to perdition?
Another twist in the story. Yoruba has a mortal fear of Igbo and vice-versa. So at the critical moment, rather an Igbo fit that Peter Obi, majority of Yoruba settled for a Yoruba dullard – one that was spent physically, cranky mentally, burdened morally and unfit to lead himself, not to mention a nation of 200 million people.
To put the matter in proper context, it must be put on record that majority of Yoruba didn’t support or even vote Tinubu. This column makes bold to say that if the votes counted, devoid of the Mahmoud Yakubu glitch, Tinubu didn’t score majority votes even in Yoruba land in 2023. His people rejected him but they allowed themselves to be steam-rolled by the small clique of Tinubu’s political propaganda machine. The race was bullied and cowed into acquiescence and coerced support.
Today, with the unfolding mess, it is seen by the layman that Yoruba backed Tinubu to become president of Nigeria in 2023. It’s the popular notion that Yoruba has committed class suicide today and many generations to come. History will preserve this faux pas as a tragic memento of the Yoruba race. This will sure take a while to undo. This is the lot of this great race in Nigeria today. Between Awolowo, MKO Abiola, Obasanjo and now Tinubu, it remains a long road to no freedom yet for Yoruba. Nigeria continues to yoke the Yoruba race; though they be in power, yet there’s no power still; for them or for Nigeria – in a manner of speaking.
While one prays that this prognosis be wrong – at least for the sake of our children, the fact we can’t wish away is that Tinubu lacks the basic capacity to preside over Nigeria. Simplicita.
He doesn’t know it. In fact, he doesn’t know anything right now. Currently, his mind seems to fluctuate like Nigeria’s telecom networks – now it’s on, now it’s off!
Worse, he doesn’t have great minds around his presidency to stand in the gap. Many of the people around him are petty pilferers. The federal cabinet is a vacuous crew of kakistocrats. The National Assembly is a circus. The judiciary a putrid mess led by low minds.
So it’s a vacuum all the way. Nigeria is in a deep gulf. Who will rescue her in the next three years.
Unfortunately, the Yoruba nation (like other Nigerian sub-nations) is in disarray with few good heads in the public arena. Enlightened Yoruba minds abound but they have been alienated by the Tinubu gang. Yet they must do something. The Tinubu presidency needs rescuing quick for if it continues in its current trajectory, something will have to give in the months ahead: the people may rise, the military may move or Nigeria may simply disintegrate and become a Militia-dom like Haiti. That is, bandits, terrorists, militias and just anyone who can raise a small army would hold his small piece of Nigeria. Perhaps this is what the Western powers want, the way they seem to goad a headless Tinubu straight into the abyss. Perhaps the grand plan is to push Nigeria to fail so they can move the Marines here and recolonise Nigeria!
Why do we sound so melancholy and forlorn about the current state of our nation?
A cursory look at Tinubu’s scorecard after one year in office will prove it.
TOTAL DEBASEMENT OF OUR SOCIETY. In just one year, Tinubu has destroyed every little good Nigeria had. And it’s not just in the economic sector. Tinubu is turning Nigeria to dust, starting with Africa’s first Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka.
THE SOYINKA REDUX: Pallying with Tinubu has made one of the most eminent minds of our age an object of unmitigated scorn. In Soyinka’s grand old age, many Nigerians are riled that he has capitulated to evil and shorn the lifetime of moral authority he was possessed of. Thank goodness, his huge body of literary works would subsist.
Beyond the Soyinka redux, there’s a befuddling pushback of our freedoms and long-earned human rights. In just one year, about half a dozen journalists and rights activists have been abducted, (not arrested as it used to be), but hijacked in stealth operations by Tinubu’s hounds. They are often kept incommunicado until the whole world begins to cry out. In all this, not a word is uttered by President Tinubu who professes progressive politics and ethic.
This is hoping that yours truly is not abducted as well, but while no man goes to war praying not to return, we don’t refrain from war out of fear of casualties. Anaghi a so mgbagbu aga Ogu… is how Igbo capture it.
MILITARY/SECURITY OFFICIALS’ EXCESSES: It can be said that Tinubu is not in command of the country. There are several tell-tale signs. The on-going Kano Emirate miasma is one pointer. While the police guards one contender to the throne, the army guards the other. Who’s commanding these forces to act so disgracefully? Certainly not the president. Why’s the army embroiled in civil matters so?
The National Security Adviser (NSA) almost created a personal treasury of his own with a cyber security levy imposed on Nigerians in conjunction with the CBN. The president was not aware until Nigerians began to wail. The army in the last one year has acted like outlaws – the blighting of Okuama, the shutting of Banex Plaza, etc. Increasingly, they have forgotten Nigeria has a constitution they are subject to.
More sad is that our military and security agencies have continued to escalate insecurity in Nigeria for their personal gains, as they have done in the last 15 years. Nothing has changed. We thought Tinubu as president/commander-in-chief would have been able to cleanse the Nigerian military augean stable!
In March this year alone, 165 farmers were killed mainly in the north. Farming in Nigeria is seriously impaired! President Tinubu doesn’t see the urgency and magnitude of the situation.
REFORM, WHAT REFORM: It’s only the criminals within the inner caucus of power who try to convince President Tinubu that he’s reforming the economy. Do you reform anything without clear definition of intent and purpose? Without bases, targets and roadmap? Tinubu has run the economy into the ground in just one year and they call it reform! You don’t have to die to be born again!
Nigeria has about the worst currency in the world today, standing at about 46 out of 54 African countries. The naira has less value than the currencies of South Sudan, Libya, Ghana, Mauritania, Somalia, Chad, Niger, Togo, Benin, etc. Nigeria is 9th on the table of 20 most inflation ravaged countries of the world. Companies are fleeing, while the FG and NASS shop for loans and even more loans to dissipate.
One can’t remember a time in our recent history that the president didn’t address the nation on his first anniversary. Tinubu won’t address Nigeria. He postpones an address he had all of one year to prepare for. This is how our country is being run. Nay, this is how our country is NOT being run.
Our first anniversary gift is a comical bill to revert to a discarded colonial national anthem. The president signed it pronto, even against the counsel of his attorney-general and the whimpering of the populace.
Nobody in government seems to be working for the good of Nigeria or the people. After eight years, Nigerians thought President Muhammadu Buhari was the worst they had seen but Tinubu has earned that dubious honour in just one year.
This indeed, must be the ugliest face of the Yoruba race, and that’s not only metaphorically. Sad.
