Politics
Political Terrorism in Disguise: How Tinubu and the APC Regime Are Destroying Nigeria (OPINION)
Political Terrorism in Disguise: How Tinubu and the APC Regime Are Destroying Nigeria (OPINION)
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
In every functioning democracy, political parties are expected to act as agents of progress, social development and economic upliftment. However, what we have witnessed in Nigeria since the All Progressives Congress (APC) took over in 2015, and particularly under the current presidency of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is nothing short of calculated political and economic terrorism against the Nigerian people. It is time to call a spade a spade: supporters and defenders of the APC and Tinubu are enabling a regime that is choking the life out of the Nigerian state, destroying livelihoods and plunging millions into multidimensional poverty.
This is not an exaggeration. It is a fact-based analysis of a devastating political reality.
The Legacy of Ruin Since 2015
Under the APC, Nigeria has experienced a historic economic collapse. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), over 133 million Nigerians are now living in multidimensional poverty as of 2022, a staggering increase from roughly 70 million in 2015. This includes not only income poverty, but also lack of access to healthcare, education and clean water/basic human rights.
The inflation rate stood at 33.69% in April 2025, the highest in over two decades and food inflation reached an unbearable 40.53%. Even staple foods like rice, garri, yam and bread are becoming luxuries. The naira has collapsed to ₦1,500/$ in the parallel market, despite multiple promises to stabilize the economy. These are not random economic mishaps. They are the results of deliberate and reckless policies that benefit a corrupt elite while ordinary Nigerians are strangled by hunger, joblessness and despair.
Political and Economic Terrorism Defined
Terrorism is commonly defined as the use of violence or coercion to instill fear for political ends. When a political party or regime consistently impoverishes its citizens, muzzles dissent, manipulates the judiciary, rigs elections, loots public funds and weaponizes institutions against the people, what else can we call it if not state-sponsored terrorism?
Economic terrorism occurs when those in power deliberately sabotage the economic well-being of their people for personal or political gain. APC policies from the arbitrary fuel subsidy removal without any safety net, to the disastrous naira redesign policy that paralyzed the informal economy; fit this definition perfectly.
Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, once said:
“What is happening in Nigeria is not normal governance. It is a form of political and economic warfare against the Nigerian people.”
Supporters of this regime are therefore not innocent bystanders. They are collaborators in the oppression of over 200 million people.
Tinubu’s Travesty of Leadership
President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023 under a cloud of controversy and allegations. His electoral victory was contested nationwide and criticized by international observers. Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, noted that the 2023 election was “deeply flawed” and “failed to meet the expectations of a democratic process.”
Since assuming power, Tinubu has spent more time abroad than at home, squandering millions of dollars on foreign trips while Nigerians sleep hungry. A staggering ₦10 billion was spent on solar panels for the Aso Rock Villa amid epileptic national grid supply. How do we reconcile this with the fact that over 70% of Nigerians live without steady electricity?
In March 2024, it was revealed that the federal government allocated ₦15 billion for the renovation of the Vice President’s residence. Yet, universities remain underfunded, healthcare is in shambles and ASUU strikes loom.
Is this not economic sabotage at the highest level?
Defenders of Tyranny: The New Faces of Terrorism
Those who continue to support and defend this administration, despite the glaring evidence of its failure, are not simply partisan loyalists but they are enablers of oppression, agents of poverty and defenders of a system that is hostile to human dignity. They are no different from accomplices to armed robbers.
Professor Chidi Odinkalu, former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, once remarked:
“The worst kind of oppression is when those who are suffering become the cheerleaders of their own oppressors.”
Defenders of Tinubu and the APC fall squarely into this tragic category. They demonize critics, rationalize incompetence and gaslight an entire population suffering under a failed state.
Corruption as a Weapon of Control
Nigeria’s Auditor-General reports over ₦20 trillion unaccounted for in government spending between 2015 and 2023. Tinubu’s government continues the tradition of unbridled corruption. Ministers live like monarchs while civil servants are owed months of salaries. Oil theft has become institutionalized and subsidy scams remain unpunished.
Meanwhile, whistleblowers are silenced, opposition figures are harassed and the media is under attack. The EFCC, DSS, and police have become tools of intimidation. This is not democracy. It is an authoritarian kleptocracy wearing democratic makeup.
The International Community Watches in Disbelief
The international community has not been silent. The U.S. District Court ruling in 2024 compelled the FBI and DEA to release documents linking Bola Tinubu to alleged drug trafficking operations in the 1990s. While the government continues to deny and dismiss these allegations, the implications for Nigeria’s image are catastrophic.
Renowned African intellectual, Professor Patrick Lumumba, warned:
“Any nation that allows criminals to govern its affairs must prepare for the funeral of its democracy.”
Indeed, under Tinubu and the APC, Nigeria is attending its own political funeral, dressed in the garb of poverty, injustice and widespread hopelessness.
Final Note: The Time to Speak Is Now
Nigeria cannot afford the luxury of silence anymore. Every day spent under APC rule is another day closer to total collapse. Defenders of this regime are not just misguided, they are collaborators in a grand national heist.
They are political and economic terrorists.
And just like Boko Haram and bandits who destroy with guns, these ones destroy with policies, silence, and complicity. Their weapons are not bullets, but budgets; not bombs, but lies; not grenades, but corruption. And the result is the same: pain, death and national ruin.
The words of Martin Luther King Jr. ring true:
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Let us not be silent. Let us name and shame. Let us call them what they are.
This is not opposition for opposition’s sake. This is a fight for Nigeria’s soul.
If Nigeria must live, the political terrorists killing it must be held accountable, one by one.
Breaking the Cycle of Violence: FG’s Comprehensive Plan for North Central Peace
By Ifeoma Ikem
In a bid to restore peace and stability to the North Central zone, the Federal Government has unveiled a comprehensive plan to tackle the protracted violence that has plagued the region.
According to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the plan is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises the protection of lives above all else.
Speaking in Makurdi, Benue, Akume revealed that the President’s recent visit to the state was part of a broader plan to tackle insecurity.
He noted that the plan involves a multi-layered approach, including the mobilisation of personnel, technology, and community intelligence to apprehend perpetrators and prevent recurrence. Akume emphasized that the government is committed to augmenting the efforts of security forces with improved logistics and inter-agency coordination.
“Our security forces are trying, given the spate of challenges faced; nevertheless the government is committed to augmenting their efforts with improved logistics and inter-agency coordination,” the SGF stated.
He also emphasized that lasting peace requires synergy between federal and state actors, urging the Benue State government to galvanize local leaders and convene stakeholders to foster dialogue.
“Beyond security measures, the government is also working to address the humanitarian crisis, with over 50,000 internally displaced persons in need of urgent support,” Akume pointed out, revealing that the government is collaborating with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and non-governmental organisations to scale up aid to those affected.
Economic revitalisation is also a key component of the plan, with the government fast-tracking agricultural projects and youth employment schemes to curb crime triggers and promote economic stability. Akume noted that military action alone is not enough, and that a holistic approach is needed to address the root causes of insecurity.
The government’s commitment to protecting lives and promoting economic stability is a beacon of hope for the region. As the plan is implemented, the people of Benue and the wider North Central region can look forward to a brighter future, free from the scourge of violence and insecurity.
With this comprehensive plan, the Federal Government is taking a bold step towards breaking the cycle of violence that has held the region hostage for too long. The question on everyone’s mind is: Will it be enough to bring lasting peace to the North Central zone? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain – the government is determined to try.
Politics
Mr. President, This Is Not a Dilapidated Nigeria: An Open Rebuke of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Extravagant Governance
Mr. President, This Is Not a Dilapidated Nigeria: An Open Rebuke of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Extravagant Governance.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared in 2023 that he inherited a “dilapidated Nigeria” from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, many Nigerians expected an urgent shift toward austerity, fiscal discipline, and a governance style that reflects the dire economic realities facing the nation; but what we have seen under Tinubu’s government is not the leadership of a man burdened with fixing a broken country. Instead, it is the portrait of extravagant ruling elites drowning the nation in reckless spending while millions of citizens are crushed under inflation, joblessness, insecurity, and despair.
It is for this reason that Emir of Kano and former CBN Governor Mohammed Sanusi II bluntly told Tinubu: “You do not claim to have inherited a dilapidated economy and then proceed to spend like a drunken sailor.” His words sting with truth and today, Nigerians demand a response beyond media propaganda and deflection.
Extravagant Spending Amid National Hardship
How can President Tinubu justify allocating ₦21 billion to renovate the Vice President’s residence in Abuja and an international conference center built for ₦240 million in 1991 renovated for ₦39 billion, when public universities are struggling to buy basic laboratory equipment and students sleep on floors? If the country is truly dilapidated, why should National Assembly members be gifted ₦70 billion worth of SUVs at ₦160 million each, in the same year citizens are taxed to death for basic services?
Even more appalling is the ₦5 billion budgeted for vehicles for the office of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (an office that does not exist in the Nigerian Constitution). Is this not fraud with a fancy name?
Then comes the presidential fleet, which received an allocation of ₦5 billion in 2024, while another ₦5 billion was budgeted for a luxury presidential yacht. Let that sink in: a yacht in a nation where nearly 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty (according to the National Bureau of Statistics, 2022).
Corruption and Nepotism Masked as Governance
How can we take Tinubu’s reform agenda seriously when he awarded a ₦15 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project to Gilbert Chagoury, a Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire and close ally of the President? Let us remember: Chagoury was once deported under former President Obasanjo for economic sabotage. Today, he’s back in favor; not by merit, but by political convenience.
What about the ₦5 billion allocated to the Presidential Tax Reform Committee headed by Taiwo Oyedele? To date, Nigerians have seen no report, no reform outcomes, just photo-ops, and hollow press statements.
And if things are so bad, why appoint the largest cabinet in Nigerian history (48 ministers) when the Oronsaye Report has already recommended the downsizing and merging overlapping ministries and agencies? What happened to that cost-saving reform?
The Subsidy Scam
Tinubu told Nigerians that he removed fuel subsidies to free up funds for development, but where is the money? How much has been saved and how has it been spent? Till now, there’s no transparent accounting.
On the contrary, after removing the subsidy, pump prices skyrocketed from ₦185/liter to over ₦900/liter in many states. Electricity tariffs followed suit. While Nigerians were told to “tighten their belts,” the government loosened theirs with gold-plated policies and unchecked looting.
Governance Without Empathy
Under Tinubu’s watch, education has become a privilege, not a right. Public university lecturers are owed a backlog of salaries from previous ASUU strikes. Students are being priced out of classrooms by inflated fees. And health? Only the wealthy can afford decent hospitals, while public health institutions resemble war zones.
Food prices have doubled. A 50kg bag of rice now costs over ₦75,000. Tomatoes, which used to be ₦300 per basket, now go for ₦10,000 in some markets. Yet, the President and his vice continue globe-trotting at taxpayers’ expense.
According to BudgIT’s 2024 report, the Tinubu government allocated ₦90 billion for Hajj pilgrimage. Is Nigeria now a theocracy? Should religion be more important than education, health, infrastructure, and human capital?
Meanwhile, each Senator reportedly earns ₦21 million monthly, and House of Reps members pocket ₦13.5 million. These increments were passed under Tinubu’s administration without a whisper of concern for the 133 million poor Nigerians.
The Deceptive “Renewed Hope”
Tinubu’s campaign slogan, “Renewed Hope,” has fast become “Renewed Hopelessness.” Nigerians have seen no signs of a turnaround. Instead, what they see is a system where:
Nepotism thrives: critical appointments are handed to cronies, not technocrats.
Security remains elusive: from Zamfara to Plateau, Benue to Borno, killings are rampant.
Inflation is unchecked: currently at 33.69% (May 2025), according to the NBS.
The naira is weak: trading at over ₦1,500/$1 in the parallel market.
Unemployment continues to soar: youth unemployment stands at 53.4%, the highest in West Africa.
IF THESE AREN’T SIGNS OF FAILURE, WHAT ARE?
Words from the Wise
The late Chinua Achebe once warned, “THE TROUBLE with NIGERIA is SIMPLY and SQUARELY a FAILURE of LEADERSHIP. ” That rings louder now than ever. Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka described our leadership as a “CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE MASQUERADING as GOVERNANCE.”
Even elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark recently declared: “This GOVERNMENT is not BEING SINCERE with NIGERIANS. You don’t REMOVE SUBSIDY and then begin to LIVE a LIFESTYLE of KINGS and EMPERORS.”
In the words of Prof. Pat Utomi: “LEADERSHIP is not about ACQUIRING luxury cars and private jets. It’s about making LIVES BETTER for the AVERAGE CITIZEN.”
Yet, what we see under President Tinubu is the institutionalization of greed. Leaders are getting richer, while citizens can barely survive.
Final Word
Mr. President, the claim that you inherited a “dilapidated economy” is not enough. What matters is what you’ve done with the economy since May 29, 2023. Sadly, the answer is clear: the cost of governance has exploded, the suffering of the people has intensified and trust in public institutions has eroded further.
We demand answers:
Where are the subsidy savings?
Why the jumbo budget for luxuries?
Why ignore the Oronsaye Report?
Why increase electricity tariffs without improved service?y
Why are critical sectors neglected while SUVs are bought in bulk?
Nigerians are watching. The world is watching. This trend must be arrested; urgently. It is time for accountability, not propaganda. If this administration is truly committed to rescuing Nigeria, then start acting like you inherited a failing state and not a treasure chest for elite consumption.
Enough of deception. Enough of waste.
Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
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