Nigeria Is Sinking—Or Has Already Sank—Because It Has Never Had a True Natural Activist as President

*By George Omagbemi Sylvester*

Since independence (1960) till date, Nigeria has been governed by a long list of military rulers turned democrats, political opportunists, and power brokers driven more by ambition than by activism. The country is not just sinking; many would argue it has already sank. A nation so richly blessed with human and natural resources, yet so tragically mismanaged, has one fundamental and recurring flaw: Nigeria has never been led by a true, passionate, people-driven, natural activist as President. Not once. And this absence of authentic patriotic activism at the helm of affairs is the root cause of Nigeria’s perpetual regression.

Who is a Natural Activist?
A natural activist is not a professional politician who discovered “the people” after tasting the perks of power.
A natural activist is someone whose life is built around advocacy for justice, equity, development, and the empowerment of the masses. It’s someone who has consistently sacrificed personal comfort for the good of the collective, even before entering political office.
Let us think of the likes of Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, Patrice Lumumba of Congo, or Nelson Mandela of South Africa—leaders who governed with the people in mind because their lives had already been a protest against injustice.

Nigeria’s Political Landscape: Bereft of Natural Activists From the first republic to the current dispensation, Nigeria has recycled a class of rulers disconnected from the pulse of the people.

While the names may change—Obasanjo, Buhari, Jonathan, Yar’Adua, Tinubu—the blueprint remains the same: politicking for personal gain, ethnic consolidation of power, and absolute disregard for the poor. Let us break it down.

– **Obasanjo (1976–79, 1999–2007)**: A former military general who returned as a “democrat,” Obasanjo’s second coming was marred by privatization scandals, excessive debt accumulation, and the infamous third-term agenda. Though praised for some macroeconomic stability, his administration hardly addressed the root causes of poverty and corruption. He was more of a power tactician than a people’s advocate.

– **Yar’Adua (2007–2010)**: A gentleman by all standards, yet not a natural activist. His brief tenure showed flashes of reform, but his political ascendancy was rooted in elite arrangements, not mass movement or public-driven ideals.

– **Goodluck Jonathan (2010–2015)**: A man who rose from a humble background, yes—but not an activist. His failure to confront corruption, his helplessness during the Boko Haram insurgency, and his excessive tolerance of inefficiency revealed a man unprepared to challenge the rot of the system he inherited.

– **Muhammadu Buhari (1983–1985, 2015–2023)**: Widely promoted as a man of integrity, Buhari’s civilian tenure will go down as one of the most economically devastating and socially polarizing in Nigerian history. Inflation soared, naira collapsed, insecurity worsened, and public institutions eroded under his watch. Activism was never his nature—discipline perhaps, but not a people-centered agenda.

– **Bola Ahmed Tinubu (2023–present)**: A political godfather and master strategist, Tinubu’s presidency has been about consolidation of political debts and patronage, not grassroots reform. Nigerians continue to suffer under the yoke of fuel subsidy removal without palliative alternatives, with worsening inflation, rising unemployment, and a sense of national directionlessness.

Why Activism Matters in Leadership Activism births empathy.
A true activist understands the hunger of the market woman, the hopelessness of the unemployed graduate, and the despair of the displaced family in the northeast. Activists don’t need a think tank to tell them what Nigerians need—they have lived it, fought for it, and been jailed for it. That moral conviction is missing in Nigeria’s leadership class. Instead, what we have are career politicians, most of whom see the state as a cash cow.

PDP: The Best Democratic Structure Nigeria Has Ever Had Despite its flaws and internal contradictions, the **People’s Democratic Party (PDP)** remains the best political structure Nigeria has ever produced in the democratic era. Its national outlook, internal zoning principles, commitment to electoral processes (especially under INEC leadership like Prof. Attahiru Jega’s during Jonathan’s era), and relatively peaceful transfers of power demonstrate a level of maturity the APC has never possessed. PDP is not perfect. It has harbored corrupt elements and mismanaged certain opportunities. But it has shown more commitment to democratic ideals than the APC, which has demonstrated autocratic tendencies, media repression, and election manipulation. Under PDP, Nigeria experienced her longest stretch of uninterrupted democracy (1999–2015), enjoyed debt relief, and implemented vital reforms in telecommunications, banking, and agriculture. Even under Goodluck Jonathan—often criticized for his slow pace—the country experienced freedom of speech, judicial independence, and a peaceful concession of defeat in the 2015 election. This singular act elevated Nigeria’s democratic image worldwide.

The Cost of Not Having an Activist-President

Here’s what Nigeria has suffered by not having a natural activist in Aso Rock:
1. **Corruption as Culture**: With no president ready to risk popularity for reform, corruption has become institutionalized. From inflated contracts to oil theft, leaders often turn a blind eye.
2. **Insecurity**: A true activist understands that every Nigerian life matters—Christian or Muslim, Hausa or Igbo, rich or poor. Instead, our leaders respond to crises with committees and condolence tweets.
3. **Brain Drain**: The mass emigration of young Nigerians (“Japa”) is a direct consequence of failed leadership. Youths no longer see a future in a country where hard work is not rewarded and where dreams are constantly suffocated.
4. **Economic Collapse**: With inflation at record highs, unemployment skyrocketing, and the naira in freefall, one wonders how long Nigeria can survive. An activist-president would prioritize local industry, cut government waste, and protect the poor—not travel the world seeking loans while public universities are closed for months.
5. **Loss of National Identity**: Tribalism, religious bigotry, and ethnic chauvinism have replaced national unity. A true activist leader would rise above ethnic sentiments and unite the nation with a common purpose.

What Nigeria Needs Nigeria doesn’t need another politician in agbada with empty campaign slogans. It needs a leader who feels the pain of the people—deeply and personally. Someone who has *fought* for the people, not just *spoken* to them. We need an activist-president who is not afraid to call out the elite, challenge the status quo, and lead reforms that may upset the powerful but uplift the powerless. Until then, Nigeria will continue to oscillate between failure and disaster. We need a president who sees Aso Rock not as a throne of privilege but a platform for purposeful struggle

Nigeria is where it is today—sinking, or perhaps already submerged—because its leaders have lacked the authenticity, empathy, and passion that only natural activists possess.

No nation can rise above the quality of its leadership. We’ve had generals, technocrats, politicians, and businessmen. What we haven’t had is an activist—someone who fights for the people before, during, and after power.

It is time for Nigerians to rethink leadership.
We must demand more than polished grammar and political propaganda.
We must demand passion, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
Only then can we begin to pull this nation from the depths of despair.

Until such a leader emerges, we may continue to shout “Up NEPA” as if it’s a privilege to have light in 2025. And that, fellow Nigerians, is the greatest embarrassment of all. —