The Dictatorship That Dele Momodu Saw

In The Punch Newspaper published on October 25, 2022 during the build-up to the 2023 presidential campaigns in Nigeria, Chief Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation Magazine said: “Bola Tinubu is the only Governor I know who had two Deputy Governors and they both got into trouble. I am inferring dictatorship and nothing else. Dictatorship has no way in my books and Bola Tinubu is a potential dictator.”

Now, there are various qualities that dictators exhibit and have exhibited across the world in history. Dictators disobey court orders. Dictators bribe and intimidate or kill court judges that insist on doing their jobs. Dictators violate democratic procedures and processes. Dictators muzzle the press, arrest journalists and critics and most times, detain them illegally, using security agencies.

Dictators infiltrate opposition political parties and muzzle them. Dictators enslave members of the legislative arm of the government, using monetary inducements and other psychological weapons, thereby eliminating the democratic principles of separation of powers.

Through their conduct, dictators end up confusing teachers who teach government as subject in schools and confuse their students, as both teachers and students watch politicians act contrary to what their books say. Dictators are most times, biased in their judgments and decisions.

Dictators also do record some achievements that favour their country, except that such wins are overshadowed by their reckless abuse of powers and display of dictatorship.

The perceived dictatorial expressions experienced since the assumption of this administration has increased pre-existing fears about the future of Nigeria’s democracy. An example of acting without sensitivity to masses’ feelings was the arrest and detention of people protesting against hunger in August 2024. For the first time in Nigeria’s history, teenagers were arraigned in court with various allegations, following the protest against hunger under the Tinubu regime.

How about the “Subsidy is gone” announcement of May 2023 in his acceptance speech at his swearing-in ceremony?. That statement was obviously made without considering consequences on the masses’ plight and it eventually inflicted economic pains on the masses and contributed to a general price inflation that the economy is still yet to recover from.

In the Lagos State House of Assembly, two-thirds majority of members voted democratically and impeached their speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, replacing him with Mrs. Mojisola Meranda. Mr. Obasa took the case to court in protest. Rather than wait to follow the court process through, the impeached Obasa returned to reassume the speakership a few weeks after as the impeachment was reversed courtesy of alleged dictatorial influence from above, undermining the judicial process and judiciary’s function in a democracy.

On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in Rivers State, suspending the democratically elected Governor and State House of Assembly (Legislature and Executive) and appointed a retired military officer to head the state for six months.

This followed a prolonged conflict between the state Governor, Sim Fubara and one of President Tinubu’s cabinet ministers, Nyesom Wike, the state’s former Governor.

In his speech declaring the State of Emergency, the President attributed all blames for the prolonged crisis to Governor Fubara, without allotting any blame to his minister who had even contributed to the crisis, fuelling it with threats. Referring to some other Governors that intended to intervene in the crisis, Wike had said in an interview in August 2024: “I will put fire in their states.”

Wike even held a press conference in March 2025 where he instigated the Ijaw tribe in the multi-tribal state against the others and used languages such as “Heaven will not fall.” Yet, President Tinubu  did not see any wrong in Wike’s actions.

President Tinubu has so far in his administration, recorded a number of achievements such as easing of access to travelling passports, access to Nigeria’s visa, introduction of students loans to encourage education, efforts to actualize autonomy of local Government administration and a better government performance at the grassroots, strengthening of Nigeria’s local airlines, and so on.

However, there are fears about the future of Nigeria’s democracy, considering the manifestations of dictatorial traits witnessed so far. When the Edo State Governorship election was emerging in 2024, while addressing his party’s aspirant and followers, we heard statements like “I will give you Edo State.” Eventually, he did. What a democracy!

There are fears that State of Emergency might be declared in more states where the President decides to do so. There are northern states where terrorists have held sway and even collected taxes from innocent citizens of Nigeria; where people have been prevented from access to their farms and killed under the watch of helpless State Governors. Such states were not considered for State of Emergency declaration. Instead, it was declared on Rivers State because two individual politicians that could be cautioned with the use of presidential powers and influence, were quarreling. The democratic Will of the Rivers State people was subverted.

There are fears that the current Rubber Stamp National Assembly will endorse a third term bid for the current President if he wins (which is most likely to happen) the 2027 presidential elections, completes the tenure and decides to propose such bid or asks the legislature to amend the constitution to accommodate it.

There are fears that based on the human rights abuses experienced so far, including unprofessional hauling of insults at government critics and observers by Tinubu’s aides rather than explaining government intentions and policies to commentators, conventional media houses may be shut down for criticizing  the government if President Tinubu wins his second term presidential bid in 2027.

Infact, the current level of intolerance of public opinion and government criticism indicates that Nigerians may have to brace up for mass arrests and detentions over expression of opinions and observations of government misconducts. Discussing government’s poor performance and mis-governance in public might even become dangerous at some point.

There are fears that proving Dele Momodu wrong in the weeks, months, years ahead can only occur by miracle. Yes! Miracles happen.