By Ehia O. Akhabue, writing from Uromi, Edo State.
There is a quiet but dangerous evolution taking place in Nigeria’s political landscape, one that, if not confronted with courage and foresight, could spell the death of genuine democracy. Our beloved nation is gradually drifting into a de-facto one-party system, a political environment where opposition is mocked, dissent is punished, and loyalty to the ruling party has become the new passport to safety, wealth, and political survival. Meanwhile, the country is bleeding, its people hungry, its youth hopeless, its soldiers dying, and its leaders’ chanting songs of self-praise rather than seeking solutions.
In Abuja and across the thirty-six states, one can hear the new national chorus: “On your mandate we shall stand.” The song has become an anthem not of patriotism, but of submission, a hypnotic refrain that drowns the voices of millions crying out for security, jobs, food, and justice.
The Rise of Fear Politics and the Death of Opposition
The very essence of democracy lies in choice, the ability of citizens to select from competing visions of governance. But what happens when all roads lead to one political empire, when governors, senators, and local government chairmen abandon their parties, not out of conviction, but out of fear of persecution or the lure of protection?
Today, we witnessed an unprecedented migration of governors and legislators from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All-Progressives Congress (APC). Some of these defectors are on their second term, with no elections ahead, yet they still rush to “stand on the mandate” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, not because they believe in his ideology or his policies, but because they dread the knock of the EFCC or the whisper of the ICPC.
When the governor of Bayelsa, a sitting PDP leader with years of experience, crosses over to the APC merely to escape investigation, it exposes not only his fear but also the rot within our institutions. If the anti-corruption agencies have become weapons of political intimidation rather than instruments of justice, then we are no longer governed by law but by fear.
The desperation to “belong” has reached comic proportions. Governors and lawmakers are not defecting because they disagree with their parties’ philosophies, but because they believe their salvation lies under the umbrella of the ruling party. It is not love of country driving them, it is self-preservation.
A Nation That Laughs While It Bleeds
Around the world, Nigeria is now a tragic paradox—a country blessed with intelligence, talent, and resources, yet trapped in cycles of violence, corruption, and poor leadership. While hunger and insecurity ravage the land, our leaders are dancing to political songs.
Farmers cannot go to their farms in Plateau and Benue States for fear of being slaughtered by herdsmen or bandits. In Zamfara, terrorists roam freely, collecting taxes from villagers. In Niger and Kaduna, schoolchildren are kidnapped for ransom. Yet, instead of confronting these monsters, our leaders are busy organizing political rallies to pledge loyalty to the president.
The international community watches us with pity. Once called the “Giant of Africa,” Nigeria now staggers like a wounded elephant, proud but bleeding, large but weak, independent but enslaved by its own contradictions.
The Osun State Paradox: Politics Over Governance
The situation in Osun State perfectly captures the moral decay of Nigeria’s political class. The ongoing crisis over the withheld local government funds is not about legality or constitutionality; it is about power.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, popularly elected by the people, finds himself under pressure from Abuja to “come and stand on the mandate.” The withholding of funds meant for local governments, money that should be building roads, schools, and hospitals, is being used as a political bait to lure him into the APC.
Is this democracy, or is this extortion? How can a president who claims to be the father of the nation allow such punishment of a state simply because its governor belongs to another party?
We cannot forget the tragedy of Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, whose mysterious death still haunts the state’s conscience. Must Osun once again be sacrificed on the altar of political domination?
The president, as a Yoruba elder and son of the soil, must rise above party politics and act as a statesman. Let Governor Adeleke govern. Release the funds. Allow the grassroots to breathe. History will judge leaders not by how they favored their party, but by how they treated their people.
The Gospel According to the APC: “Thou Shall Stand on the Mandate”
In today’s Nigeria, loyalty has replaced integrity, and sycophancy is the new political currency. The ruling party behaves as though God Himself signed its certificate of eternal ownership of Nigeria. Every criticism is seen as treason; every opponent is branded an enemy of progress.
But power is transient. The APC should learn from history. The PDP once ruled for sixteen unbroken years and boasted that it would govern for sixty. Where is the PDP today? It collapsed under the weight of arrogance and impunity. The same fate awaits any party that treats the people’s patience as weakness.
A government that demands blind loyalty while failing to deliver basic security or food is not democratic, is dictatorial. The president should remember that the mandate he claims was given by Nigerians, not by heaven. That mandate carries responsibilities: to feed the hungry, protect the weak, and uphold justice. Anything less is betrayal.
The Shame of Insecurity
Insecurity remains Nigeria’s greatest shame. From the forests of Sambisa to the highways of Kaduna, terrorists and bandits have turned our country into a killing field. Entire villages are wiped out, and yet, those responsible for protecting us behave as though they are powerless, or worse, complicit.
How can a National Security Adviser who is a former policeman believe that bribing or pacifying bandits is the solution? Paying ransom to criminals is not negotiation, it is national surrender.
Instead of confronting Boko Haram and its offshoots, the government is busy holding political meetings. The president seeks photo opportunities abroad while blood flows at home. Even Donald J. Trump, thousands of miles away, has reportedly warned that if Nigeria does not get serious, external powers might act.
Nigeria’s military is capable of victory. What it lacks is political will. The soldiers in the trenches have courage; what they need is leadership that believes in them, not one that uses insecurity as a tool for manipulation and funding.
The Youths and the Death of Hope
Perhaps the most heartbreaking consequence of our failed leadership is the moral decay among our youth. When young Nigerians now say, “education is a scam,” it reflects a collective national failure. They have watched politicians loot billions and retire into comfort while hardworking graduates remain unemployed. They have seen corruption rewarded and honesty punished.
How do we convince a young man in Kano, Benue, or Edo that integrity pays when every example around him screams otherwise? How do we ask a hungry youth not to become a bandit when crime has become the fastest route to wealth?
We are raising a generation that no longer believes in merit, only in survival. This is a dangerous trend that threatens the very soul of the nation.
The Need for Constitutional Reform
If Nigeria must survive as a democracy, it needs urgent constitutional reforms, especially regarding the tenure of elected officials. I propose a single term of six years for the president and governors. One term is enough to make an impact. It removes the obsession with reelection, the reckless looting of public funds for campaigns, and the endless political drama that distracts from governance.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should seize this opportunity to make history. At seventy-four, he has nothing left to prove. His legacy should not be about how many states joined his party, but about how he restored peace and security. He should focus on rebuilding Nigeria’s institutions, not his political empire.
Let him choose the Nelson Mandela path, serve with dignity, achieve greatness, and leave voluntarily after one term. Mandela became immortal not because he ruled forever, but because he knew when to go.
The Burden of Leadership
True leadership is not measured by how many people praise you, but by how many lives are improved because of your decisions. Nigeria’s problem is not lack of intelligence or potential; it is lack of conscience in leadership.
President Tinubu, like every mortal, must one day face history. When that day comes, God will not ask how many governors defected to the APC or how many people sang “On your mandate we shall Stand.” He will ask how many Nigerians slept with full stomachs, how many orphans were rescued, how many widows smiled again.
At this stage of his life, the president should act as a father of the nation, not as a party boss. The time for politics is over; the time for governance has come.
A Call for Moral Reawakening
Nigeria needs a moral revolution. Our leaders must remember that power is transient and death is inevitable. No matter how many billions you steal or how many houses you own in Dubai, you will take nothing with you when the final whistle blows.
We must teach our politicians that leadership is service, not entitlement. Our lawmakers should wake up from their slumber, stop singing partisan anthems, and legislate for the people. Let them strengthen anti-corruption institutions, not use them as attack dogs. Let them prioritize national security, not political survival.
We also need the judiciary to remain courageous and independent. When the Bayelsa deputy governor was unlawfully impeached, it took the court’s intervention to restore justice. Without fearless judiciary, democracy cannot stand.
The Path Forward
If Nigeria continues this current trajectory, we may soon wake up in a nation where elections are mere rituals, where only one-party matters, and where opposition exists only in theory. That would be the death of democracy.
But it is not too late to turn around. Nigeria still has brave men and women who believe in truth, justice, and accountability. Civil society must rise again. The media must speak without fear. The church and mosque must preach righteousness, not riches. And ordinary Nigerians must refuse to be silenced by hunger or fear.
We must remind our leaders that they are servants, not gods. That the presidency is a temporary seat, not a throne. That power belongs to the people, and it can be taken away as easily as it was given.
Personal Reflections
At sixty-eight, I have seen Nigeria in its many colors, hopeful, corrupt, divided, and resilient. I have served, campaigned, and retired from active politics. But one truth remains: this nation still has a chance.
My appeal to President Tinubu is simple:
Resolve the Osun local government crisis honorably.
Release the funds and let democracy breathe.
Focus on ending insecurity and poverty.
Leave a legacy of peace, not fear.
Rule for one term and go home in dignity, knowing you did your best.
Nigeria needs healing, not domination. Unity, not uniformity. Leadership, not lordship.
Let us rebuild our country, not on the foundation of party supremacy, but on the enduring values of justice, equity, and humanity.
Conclusion: The Mandela Option
When all is said and done, history will not remember who stood on whose mandate. It will remember who stood for Nigeria.
President Tinubu should take the Mandela Option, solve the insecurity crisis, reconcile the regions, strengthen democracy, and then step aside with honor. That will make him not just a politician, but a statesman.
As for those who continue to defect, remember this: power without purpose is vanity. One day, all songs will cease, all mandates will fade, and only the truth will remain.
Nigeria stands today at a crossroads. We can either continue pretending that all is well, or we can confront our demons and rebuild our nation. The choice is ours, and time is running out.
Ehia O. Akhabue, writing from Uromi, Edo State