Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu never ceases to amaze. He never ceases to exhibit the different shades of the moral decadence that compelled a vast majority of Nigerians who voted in the 2023 presidential elections to roundly reject him. The shade currently trending centers on sheer hypocrisy.
In two different stops at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU), Tinubu appealed to the African states to ensure that the menace of terrorism and military coups in the continent are something of the past. He also attempted to promote the rule of law. Coup d’état and terrorism, by the way, are historically the two of the major misadventures that tend to threaten the African corrupt elite.
Seemingly worried that Mr. Tinubu failed to address the key concerns of the ordinary people, the Nigerian Vanguard Newspaper in its editorial page of July 13, 2023, countered as follows:
“Tinubu has already identified terrorism and the resurgence of military coups as some of the problems of the region. Let us also add the mass migrations to Europe and America, particularly the desperate migrations through the Sahara Desert. We also have the problem of armed and violent nomadic herdsmen causing a major security threat in Nigeria.”
But the Vanguard did not stop there.
The paper reminded Tinubu that “The common cause of these problems is bad governance. ECOWAS must, like their European counterparts, adopt a uniform set of governance principles that will help unleash the vast human and natural resources potentials of sister states.”
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The Vanguard concluded that “A Nigeria in shambles is another reason that ECOWAS is in shambles. A country in a situation of virtual failure cannot lead a regional economic community to success.”
Nothing can be nearer to the truth.
Besides highlighting that Tinubu ignored the more pressing needs of the ordinary people, the Vanguard editors stated in clear terms that Nigeria, a bastion of bad governance, lacks the moral high grounds to counsel other African states on coups and terrorism. This goes without saying that the Life-Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government lacks the credibility to speak on such violent extremism, let alone the rule of law.
For instance, as the APC Leader, Tinubu never opposed the wanton abuse of the rule of law under the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari. A perfect example is the case of a frontline Nigerian human rights activist and the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, who was detained for over five months in 2019 without bail. Sowore’s crime was the mere mention of revolution against bad governance. Yet, the current occupant of Aso Rock never decried such brazen injustice notwithstanding that he and Buhari had at different times threatened revolution when Goodluck Jonathan was in power.
Even under the current Tinubu rule, Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has remained in jail, even though a court of law in the land had declared him innocent. There is also the case of the immediate past governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, who was bundled and thrown in jail without bail. Of course, these are clear abuses of the rule of law.
Let’s then dive into the main gist of this essay: Coup D’état. Marriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as “a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics, especially: the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group.” Clearly, beyond the typical overthrow of government as Nigerians know it, the free world knows that any power gained through illegal alteration of state authority or any confluence of violence and other electoral irregularities is a pure coup d’état.
Tinubu’s hypocrisy with terrorism is even more apparent. The same Marriam-Webster Dictionary defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.” But it is a common knowledge that violent extremism is Tinubu’s stock in trade.
Recall that he never for once condemned the various acts of terrorism promoted and sponsored by his associates against non-indigenes living in the State of Lagos during the 2019 and 2023 general elections. Tinubu continues to maintain stoic silence while Asari Dokubo (a notorious hoodlum who claims him as a father) goes about brandishing guns, terrorizing an entire tribe. Osama Bn Laden did not crash planes into the New York towers by himself; his associates did.
Mr. Tinubu has every reason to be nervous. As the Vanguard Newspaper had counseled, the solution to coup and other social vices is good governance. Let me now add that good governance in Nigeria and Africa in general begins with true war against corruption. But the problem of the moment is that expecting a meaningful war on corruption from the APC National Leader is as futile as attempting to fetch water with an Ugbo basket.
The only solution, therefore, is Tinubu’s outright removal either through the courts or impeachment, so that Nigeria can enthrone an authentic leader capable to provide the desired good governance.
SKC Ogbonnia writes from Ugbo, Enugu State.