Nationwide Protest: Tinubu Reaping Seeds of Discord
…Senate shame of a nation
By Aniekan Udofia
It was the 42nd President of the United States of America, William Jefferson Clinton, popularly known as Bill Clinton, who had a historic 92 standing ovation when he addressed the US Congress. When Clinton was asked how he achieved such unprecedented feat, he said that growing up, he would mobilise his classmates to stand by the road side to clap for the President of the United States every time he had the President was passing by.
Clinton never knew that he was sowing a seed that would germinate when he became president. Clinton will pass as one of America’s most popular and loved presidents. He shone in the international system and commanded the respect of many. Can the same be said about the president of Nigeria Bola Tinubu?
Nigeria is currently at a defining moment in her history as the nation faces a 10 day of rage, which began on August 1, 2024, with the #EndBadGovernance. The youths, the young, the old both men and women have occupied the streets of major cities across the federation in protest against bad governance, hunger, corruption, and many more. Day 1 had already witnessed casualties with police shooting at protesters and firing teargas. The army and police have been mobilised to intimidate protesters.
As the countdown of the 10 days of rage continues , the realisation that the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari has become the days many Nigerians wish could return is unbelievable. If anyone had told many Nigerians that they would desire Buhari administration, they probably would have hung such an individual.
Senator Shehu Sani recently addressed President Bola Tinubu as the father of protest in Nigeria who sponsored many of them. Tinubu, as the leader of the opposition in Nigeria, made the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan a living hell. From #BringBackOurGirls, #ReturnFuelSbsidy, #JonathanMustGo to #OccupyNigeria Tinubu mounted the rostrum to bark at Jonathan. Tinubu warned the security agencies not to shoot at protesters, that their children, wives, and families were among them.
Tinubu and his cohorts led one of the most abusive and vile campaigns against President Jonathan and endorsed images of Jonathan in a caricature. The propaganda machine of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN was ruthless, and it metamorphosed into a most terrible wing in the amalgamated All Progressives Congress, APC. Every podium Tinubu mounted, he called Jonathan names, including clueless. Tinubu and his band made Jonathan one of the most hated presidents in Nigeria.
If Tinubu had the ambition to be president, with his actions towards a sitting president, it was obvious Tinubu never believed he would be president. Tinubu sowed the seed of discord and denigrated the occupier of the very office he precedes over today. The seed has germinated in full blown scale.
The same protest he led has come back to hunt his government. Tinubu looks helpless in the face of what seems like a time bomb if not properly managed. On Sunday, the nation awaited the president’s address. To further cement the lack of focus of the administration, hours before the address, the text had flooded the Internet, and Nigerians knew before hand that Tinubu had no message. In a manner that did not fall short of the expectation of many, the President’s address was tackless and never inspired any form of hope in the citizens. It became obvious that even Tinubu does not have a knowledge of when his draconian policies will yield results. At a critical moment, the president’s address failed to yield meaningful fruit. The streets are again flooded with protesters like the address was a galvanising impetus and fuel for more protest.
To make matters worse, Tinubu has not been fortunate with the quality of men and women he has chosen to work with him. They have poorly managed the president and have failed to give him the true message of the state of Nigeria. Most of them are sycophantic to a fault and will praise the president like a demigod. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, symbolises this pack . Anyone who remembers how Akpabio praised Jonathan out of office should be wary of his kind. It was the same Akpabio that led the break up of the Governor’s Forum when he led President Jonathan to support the famous “16 is greater than 19”. There after creating the PDP Governor’s forum where he became the Chairman.
Today, the same Akpabio has returned with public comments that have, rather than help the situation in Nigeria, aggravated the anger in the land. Akpabio, who has earned a reputation as one the most careless talkers and a monumental shame of nation is ironically leading an institution that should epitomise the voice of the people, the legislature.
The Senate President has had too many gaffes that has put the administration of Tinubu in bad light that one is left to wonder if the man has any oita of leadership in him. From one stumble to another, the number three citizen of the nation has de-marketed the institution of the National Assembly more than any Senate President in the history of Nigeria.
Like the saying goes, whatever a man sows, he will reap, Tinubu is reaping the reward for his actions in the past. Tinubu ended “bad governance” in 2015. Bad governance is before us in 2024. Like the famous music group Infinity said in their popular song Olori Oko, “He that has an ear let him hear, what the spirit is saying.” Nigeria is in rage.
