Author Unknown
There is a world of difference between statesmen who genuinely want Nigeria to get better and the locusts currently parading themselves as alternatives to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They lack the credentials of statesmen, the political sagacity Tinubu has demonstrated for decades, and the ability to offer real-time, viable solutions to Nigeria’s deep-rooted challenges.
On Wednesday, Andy Burnham, the new British Prime Minister, had his first PMQ session. He outlined his plans for a safe and prosperous Britain that would continue to play a meaningful role in global affairs.
Kemi Badenoch, in welcoming him to the role, adopted a softer tone than usual and acknowledged the difficulty of leading a nation. She still criticised the government’s plans for taxes and spending, yet she did something only a statesman would do. She offered a helping hand.
Her exact words were striking: “Governing is hard but the country needs him (Burnham) to succeed. Where it is in the national interest, I will help him.”
Let that sink in. Then compare Badenoch’s posture to the destructive roles and comments of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Peter Obi since Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu became President on 29 May 2023.
What we have witnessed is an implacable clique of supposed leaders hoping for Nigeria to fail. They are rooting for a national collapse so they can return to the electorates with crocodile tears and a rehearsed “we told you so” triumphalism. Both opposition figures have savagely attacked Tinubu’s policies at every turn.
Consider their conduct. Upon assuming office, Tinubu acknowledged the enormity of the task before him. He appealed for unity, urged his opponents to join him in steering Nigeria away from imminent economic collapse, and called for collective commitment to revamp the nation. They rebuffed him. They mocked him. They mocked his policies.
Peter Obi even went to the extreme of saying anyone who claimed to be happy in Nigeria “is an animal”. He insulted the same people whose votes he now seeks. He used language reminiscent of the proscribed IPOB, signalling where his sympathies lie. He later claimed he saw no offence Nnamdi Kanu committed. It is one thing to call for pardon. It is another to pretend that Kanu’s actions, as clear as they are, never occurred. Kanu repeatedly referred to Nigeria as a “zoo” and an “animal kingdom”. He is currently serving a jail term on terrorism-related charges. Obi’s posture on Nnamdi Kanu alone reveals the symbolism, character and mindset of anyone supporting him. A sympathiser of a terrorist is a terrorist.
Atiku, for his part, has waged a relentless war against Tinubu from multiple fronts. He has launched media attacks, fought legal battles in America and Nigeria, and reportedly spent ₦1.9 billion on lobbyists to throw mud at Tinubu abroad. He has taken Tinubu to court over his age, claiming, absurdly, that he is over 90. He promised to return Nigeria to the disastrous era of fuel subsidy, only to walk it back and propose a half-baked alternative. One faux pas after another.
In all this noise, neither Peter Obi nor Atiku Abubakar has told Nigerians how they would make the country better.
Kemi Badenoch said she would support Andy Burnham wherever the national interest demands it. For Obi and his political mentor, Atiku, the national interest is not a priority. Their priority is grabbing power at all costs, even if it means burning the country down to get there.
#Nigeria
#Britain
#2027Elections
#patriotism
#RenewedHope
