The Seven ‘H’ In Tinubu’s Government

I will start this piece by saying that “the on-going coalition of various political parties under African Democratic Congress (ADC) is uncoordinated and lacks clarity.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could have assumed office as Nigeria’s President with the best of intentions on May 29, 2023, just like Nigeria’s previous Presidents.

In two years, efforts have been made to the best of his knowledge and ability to move the country from its economic, political and social quagmire. He said, concerning his criticized approaches and policies: “I wish there were other ways, BUT THERE IS NOT.”

There are seven ‘H’ that have to be examined under the Tinubu regime. They are

1. HARDSHIP: Although the layman on the streets of Nigeria blames the bulk of the overall hardship on the removal of fuel subsidy by President Tinubu’s regime, many economists say it is a good decision and that any other Presidential aspirant would have done the same thing, had they won the election, since they all promised during their electioneering campaigns that they would remove the subsidy. Some analysts also say Tinubu’s regime has relatively stabilized the foreign exchange rate and upped the servicing of overwhelming debt.

However, Nigeria’s local airlines for instance, say the bank rates have remained at between 27% and 35% and interest rates are still very far from single digits.

Besides, of high insignificance is the positive impact (if any) of the constantly increasing external borrowing by this government. Government accountability before the citizenry has been very poor while corrupt activities have allegedly festered.

President Tinubu had during pre-2023 electioneering campaigns said that if he failed to provided constant electricity power for Nigerians during his first term in office, he should not be voted into power a second time. The masses are likely to stand on this mandate in the 2027 elections, except he fulfills the promise before then.

2. HUMANITY: In model climes, political leaders do, and are expected to offer service to humanity, exhibiting compassion for their masses while conducting governance for the good of the people they lead. Leadership cannot exist without a follower to be led.

Compassionate feelings for the citizens have not been adequately demonstrated by the Tinubu regime. It may be true that the rate of senseless killings of innocent Nigerians and criminal activities did not start under this government but it has increased rapidly in recent times.

At the inception of this regime, whenever such incident happened (as it has always done till date), government reaction ended with press statements without any follow up decisive actions against the criminals that commit the atrocities or moves to prevent recurrence. It is even worse now because the President has to be pressured by public outcry to at least, visit victims of such incidents in case of mass killings, or even to react with action around investigating, arresting and punishing offenders.

The massacre of dozens of people in Yelwata, Benue State and the repeated occurrences in Plateau State as well as frequent killings in eastern states of Nigeria are just few examples. In the Yelwata case, it took the reaction of the Roman Catholic Pope in far away Europe to up the pressure on President Tinubu top visit Benue State and commiserate with mourning victims of the massacre.

The lack of human feelings by Tinubu’s regime is just too evident.

3. HATE POLITICS: Before he became President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu had portrayed himself as a democrat. Democracy thrives on divergence of political views and philosophies by political actors. Unfortunately, open and indecent demonstration of hatred for opposition politicians is habitual to Tinubu’s followers and the ruling party leadership.

In April 2025, Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, who belongs to the ruling party prevented former Labour Party Presidential aspirant, Peter Obi from visiting IDPs in his state. This was to demonstrate loyalty to President Tinubu and his ruling All Peoples Congress (APC).

A reconfirmation of hate politics as APC ideology occurred on Saturday, July 19, 2025, when Governor Monday Okpebholo (APC) of Edo State on hearing that Peter Obi had visited a nursing school and other places in Edo to make donations, did bitterly send a public warning message to Peter Obi, threatening that Obi’s security in Edo State would not be guaranteed if he visited again without first informing Governor Okpebholo. The flipside or misfortune of this state Chief Security Officer’s warning is the discouragement of foreign investors from coming to the state, on hearing that a citizen of Nigeria, has been warned against freedom of movement into the state over a ridiculous offence of not belonging to the ruling party. It could be interpreted as the state not being secure for foreign investment.

On July 22, 2025, the Chairman of APC in Edo State, Jarret Tenebe stated on national television: “I don’t like Peter Obi. I hate him.”

Hate politics is even taking away loyalists from APC and Tinubu’s regime, and this may just become the party’s albatross come 2027 elections.

Hate politics reigns under Tinubu regime to the extent that a popular opposition party flag-bearer, who recently had his birthday widely celebrated across the country, did not get a “Happy Birthday” wish publicly, from the President. It is that bad.

Money can hardly buy organic love and sentiment, in case the party is counting on money politics for 2027 victory. So much money was spent on Lagos by APC towards 2023 presidential election victory. Voters still voted their consciences and Tinubu lost the election in Lagos State, his home base.

Because of the toxic attitude of the ruling party and their hate politics, the Obidients use the social media to tear down people who criticize Peter Obi. This too, is bad conduct by the Obidients.

Hate politics is equally thriving because the federal legislature in this democracy is perceived to be under the executive’s slavery and the judiciary is not what it should be.

The truth is that politics of hate can set the country on fire and there may be no country to preside over if the ruling party continues to champion hate politics.

4. HISTORY: In terms of personal profile, no President in the history of Nigeria has ever possessed a personal pre-election baggage of image problems like President Tinubu. There are allegations about certificate, personal identity, drugs, and so on. Many of the allegations are yet to be proved but still constitute an image baggage.

As for the country, unity in diversity of Nigeria as a country, had been relatively sustained since 1960 with the reflection of national character in federal political appointments (even though this principle has not guaranteed the anticipated development pace). It had guaranteed some level of peaceful co-existence from 1999 until 2015 when late President Muhammadu Buhari of APC, who was perceived to have been engineered into power by current President Tinubu assumed office. Former President’s one sided appointments, reflective of nepotism has continued under Tinubu’s regime.

Amplification of negativity in history and divisiveness is a minus to Tinubu’s regime and had started right from the 2023 pre-election Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket. The 1993 MKO Abiola/Babagana Kingibe pair, which has been used as a defence reference in some quarters, was an organic, rather than a manipulated phenomenon. They are not the same scenerios.

5. HUNGER: Hunger in Nigeria has been caused by poverty, amplified by unemployment rate, import dependent and non-productive economy and government wastages.

According to Daily Trust of July 22, 2025, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) multi-dimensional poverty index indicates that 63% of persons living within Nigeria (133 million people) are multi-dimensionally poor. This is amidst reduced purchasing power that followed effected removal of oil subsidy in 2023.

According to nira.org, Nigeria’s youth unemployment rate stood at 42.5% as at February 2025, one of the highest globally.

Well, there may be figures from government agencies that show growth and economic improvement based on the rebasing of the economy. This has not in any way translated practically to better standard of living for the average Nigerian who is struggling to feed once a day.

According to Vanguard of June 23, 2025, Dr. Olusegun Omisakin, Chief Economist, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in his 2024 Economic Outlook of NESG, said between 2023 and 2024, 30% of Nigeria’s 24 million registered MSMEs shut down. I mean, this helps boost unemployment rate.

Techeconomy reports that in 2023, 10 major multinational corporations left Nigeria. Why won’t there be unimaginable level of hunger in the land?

As at today, Nigeria is highly import dependent and is not yet a productive economy. It has remained a consumer country. Yet, tax policies are going through legislation. Does this not amount to putting the cart before the horse?

6. HORROR: Under President Tinubu’s watch, suspected terrorists and killer herdsmen if arrested, are hardly seen to be punished. In the north, west, south, central and eastern parts of Nigeria, road travel is now a high risk because of kidnapping. It is as risky as going to your farm in rural areas. The fear of killer herdsmen attacks, is now the beginning of wisdom for both individuals and communities.

According to National Human Rights Commission, at least, 2,266 people were killed by bandits or insurgents in Nigeria during the first half of 2025, surpassing the total number of such deaths in 2024. 150 people were reportedly killed in an overnight assault in Yelwata village in Benue State.

According to NBS in BusinessDay of June 27, 2025, estimated 2,235,954 incidents of kidnapping were recorded in Nigeria between May 2023 and April 2024. Overall, more Nigerians (614,937) were killed than the 67,000 people killed in Russia-Ukraine war. Conclusive investigations and punishment of the killers involved are hardly seen or even demanded by the President.

Can the President of a country with this growing across-the-land horror within his first two years in office be re-elected in 2027 by traumatized and victimized masses?

7. HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE: The tenets of democracy guarantees fundamental human rights, including rights to freedom of expression and free speech.

Unfortunately, President Tinubu’s spokespersons do not seem to know this. So, whoever criticizes a government policy is attacked, insulted and called names instead of receiving a polite explanation of the policy for the person’s understanding. Tinubu’s media aides have succeeded in demystifying, demonizing and even belittling the revered office of the President with their unprofessional approach to the job. Infact, asking this Tinubu’s regime questions regarding its intentions and activities, is treated as a crime by the President’s spokespersons. This is very far from what a democratically elected government entails and further reactivates questions about mental legitimacy of the administration before the masses.

According to Punch of November 2, 2024, 76 suspects, including 32 minors were arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of Federal High Court, Abuja, for participating in #EndBadGovernance Protest in August 2024.

Although, they were later granted bail after a global outcry and criticisms, the incident reflected government’s mindset towards human rights. If this could happen during Tinubu’s first term in office, allowing him to be President for a second term could amount to a suicide mission because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The suspension of democratically elected Governor in Rivers State by President Tinubu, alongside a state of emergency declaration, following a personal quarrel between the State Governor and his predecessor, did not help the President’s popularity, especially when a retired military administrator was appointed to preside over the affairs of the state for six months, which is still currently running.

If the above seven ‘H’ are not attended to by President Tinubu’s APC government, the uncoordinated coalition of politically displaced persons called ADC, may actually effect change of government in 2027. That is, if a reliable referee is allowed to emerge and exist. ([email protected])