society
Tinubu’s Cult of Personality: A Dangerous Obsession with Self in a Crumbling Nation
Tinubu’s Cult of Personality: A Dangerous Obsession with Self in a Crumbling Nation
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
In a country battling record inflation, historic levels of insecurity, a spiraling Naira and the unchecked exodus of skilled professionals, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has chosen an odd hill to die on: HIMSELF. In less than two years in office, Nigeria’s 16th president has renamed or established no fewer than seven public institutions and infrastructures in his own name; all while STILL SERVING in office.
This is not a case of national consensus on legacy. It is not a grateful nation immortalizing a statesman posthumously. This is a living president, naming the country after himself, in real time with utter disregard for the optics, implications or precedent. It is self-glorification masquerading as patriotism.
Let’s call it what it is: a cult of personality and Nigeria is in dangerous territory.
The Self-Naming Spree: Seven Monuments of Ego
Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja
The iconic International Conference Centre (ICC), initially commissioned in 1991 by General Ibrahim Babangida for ₦240 million, was recently renovated for ₦39 billion. It now bears Tinubu’s name, despite IBB, a former military head of state, never naming it after himself. That tells you something.
Tinubu International Airport, Minna
Renamed in 2023 while the president is still alive and active in office. A move that even General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s most authoritarian ruler, never dared attempt.
Tinubu Polytechnic, Gwarinpa
A new federal polytechnic established under his administration and promptly christened after the president. Again; by the same man still holding the pen of power.
Tinubu National Assembly Library, Abuja
A legislative initiative backed by sycophantic lawmakers to immortalize the president in a space that is supposed to serve all members of the National Assembly across party lines.
Tinubu Immigration Technology Building, Abuja
A federal digital hub developed to enhance Nigeria’s immigration processing systems is now forever linked to the president’s name.
Tinubu Barracks, Asokoro
Military facilities are traditionally named after revered generals or national heroes, often posthumously. Yet here we are, with a barracks named after a living civilian president. Not even Olusegun Obasanjo or Muhammadu Buhari, both retired generals and former heads of state, ever received that honour in their lifetimes.
Tinubu Way, Abuja (Formerly Southern Parkway)
A major thoroughfare in the capital city renamed in 2024. The timing? Conveniently mid-term. Not post-presidency. Not after national consensus. But while the president is still signing off on the budgets and appointments that keep the legislative and executive arms compliant.
No Precedent in Nigerian Democracy
Historically, Nigeria has reserved such honours for deceased leaders, post-administration recognition or exceptional statesmen whose legacy transcended political partisanship. Even Obafemi Awolowo, widely regarded as Nigeria’s most visionary leader, did not self-name roads or institutions while in office.
President Goodluck Jonathan, despite establishing 12 new universities across Nigeria, never named one after himself. Former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, known for his humility and reformist spirit, died in office and still resisted the trap of self-worship. Even Buhari, under whose administration sycophancy flourished, did not rename major national assets after himself.
What Tinubu is doing is not legacy-building; it is a narcissistic branding campaign funded by taxpayers.
A Nation in Crisis, Led by Vanity
Nigeria is in crisis. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), over 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty. The inflation rate hovers near 33% as of May 2025, with food inflation exceeding 40%, according to CBN data. Insecurity still plagues northern and central regions, and over 2,000 Nigerian doctors have migrated to the UK since 2023 alone, per the UK General Medical Council.
Instead of leading with humility and focus, Tinubu is erecting marble monuments of his name in a collapsing economy.
“Leaders who are truly loved by their people don’t name things after themselves, the people do that when they are gone.”
— Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, Political Analyst, Centre for Democracy and Development
The Psychology of a Name
Naming is power. It immortalizes. It dominates memory and shapes perception. Tinubu’s spree of self-naming is not just about pride; it’s a calculated effort to brand Nigeria in his image, rewriting history while still holding the pen. This is not uncommon among autocrats and populists across history.
From Mobutu Sese Seko, who renamed the Democratic Republic of Congo to Zaire and named towns and airports after himself, to Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines, who filled the nation with his family’s name, history is replete with examples of self-glorifying regimes who tried to mask repression and failure with symbolic excess.
“When a man becomes obsessed with his own name, he forgets the pain in the streets.”
— Chidi Odinkalu, Human Rights Lawyer
Where Is the National Assembly?
One must ask: where is the National Assembly? Where is the separation of powers? In theory, Nigeria practices constitutional democracy, but in practice, the legislature has become a chamber of praise-singers.
Senators who should be asking questions about the cost of renaming, the constitutional legality of branding public infrastructure with a living president’s name, and the message it sends to Nigerians are instead proposing more honorary bills.
This silence is not just shameful; it is complicity.
A Republic, Not a Kingdom
President Tinubu must be reminded: Nigeria is a republic, not a monarchy. Power resides in the people. Legacy is earned through service, not signage. If the president truly believes in posterity, let him allow future generations to decide how he is remembered and not through artificial plaques but by enduring progress.
This self-naming spree does not mask the hardship of Nigerians. It does not distract from the fuel queues, the collapsed power grid, the Naira in free-fall or the insecurity that haunts farmers and school-children alike.
Let Tinubu deliver real reform. Let him rebuild industries not just rename roads. Let him fix the education system not just rename the library. Let him be a leader for all and not just a brand for himself.
“The tragedy of African leadership is that too many men build statues of themselves in the sand while their people drown.”
— Prof. PLO Lumumba
Final Take: History Is Watching
History will remember this chapter and not kindly. President Tinubu’s self-immortalization project is an embarrassment to our democracy and a warning sign for our future. If unchecked, it could set a dangerous precedent for future leaders to elevate ego over service.
Let us be clear: this is not legacy. It is vanity. And vanity has no place in a nation gasping for breath.
The people must speak. Civil society must resist. The media must spotlight. Because if we let this slide, we’re not just enabling one man’s obsession; we are surrendering the dignity of the republic itself.
Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
TO THE BUTCHER OF KAIAMA
BY Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
“His words were as smooth as butter yet war was in his heart”- Psalm 55: 21.
To Sadiku, the Butcher of Kaiama, I write the following.
I watched a video that provided graphic and disturbing evidence of your murderous activities.
You are the homicidal maniac and accursed soul that led the cowardly attack on our people in Kaiama where you massacred over 200 innocent Nigerians of both the Muslim and Christian faith even as they were praying.
Christians were burnt in their Churches and Muslims were burnt in their mosques.
People that ran to hide in their houses were hacked into pieces and burnt in their homes with their families.
Women and children were shot, macheted and burnt alive even as they prayed.
You used up all your bullets then you resorted to using machetes and cudgels to finish the job.
We know the vampiric forces and satanic entities that you serve, what they do with the blood, what they gain from it’s shedding and what they seek to achieve.
We know the dark spirits and demonic cult that use and possess you, that operate in the astral plain and that are known as the hidden hand.
You are not a leader and you are nowhere near the top of your Luciferean high command.
You are nothing but a low-level enforcer, a useful idiot, a shape-shifting reptilian, an expendable tool, an inconsequential pawn and a genocidal butcher that does their bidding and that will burn in hell forever.
Yet despite all your unrelenting wickedness and unprecedented cruelty, not just in Kaiama but everywhere else that you and yours have killed, pillaged, plundered and abducted in our nation, you will NEVER conquer or break the spirit of our people or dismember our nation because God is against you and the ancient boundaries cannot be broken.
You are a servant of Shaitan, the Prince of Darkness yet you know that darkness cannot overcome light and that your time is short.
Now hear this: your end will come soon and it will be worse than that of Abubakar Shekau, Osama Bin Ladin, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, Abu Musa Al Barnawi and all the other genocidal maniacs and terrorists put together.
You are a man of blood and you will end in blood. You lived by the sword and you will die by the sword.
You killed our people though they did you no harm and though they were innocent and defenceless.
You slaughteted our women and children without pity or mercy.
You killed our soldiers with impunity despite their courage and gallantry.
You targetted our elders and traditional rulers despite their appeals and in spite of all their efforts.
You killed the Christians and you killed the Muslims even as they worshipped and prayed to God.
It is in the same way that you and the cruel hordes of Mordor that march with you shall be killed without mercy.
The innocent blood you have shed shall speak against you and yours before God in Heaven, the Sword of the Lord shall cut you and yours to pieces and the East Wind of destruction shall scatter and blow you and yours away from generation to generation.
The Bible says there is no peace for the wicked and therefore you shall have no peace: neither shall your lineage or anyone that has your blood excel.
The Bible says “touch not my anointed and do my Prophets no harm”: you have touched the anointed of the Lord and done His Prophets harm therefore you shall reap what you have sown.
The Creator of the Universe, the God of Heaven and Earth, the Lord God of Hosts, the Ancient of Days, He that is high and lifted up who holds the world together by the power of His word and He who is irresistible and mighty in battle WILL avenge us and strike you down.
These words are sealed by the Blood of Yeshua and cannot be altered or resisted.
Your end shall be worse than that of Sennacherub, Pharaoh, Herod, Jezebel and Goliath.
I say to you today that you are the uncircumcised Philistine that has chosen to defy the Armies of the Living God and like the uncircumcised Philistine that David slew you shall be slain before the eyes of the world, we shall see your rotting corpse spread across the field of battle and your entire bloodline shall be brought to an end.
I, Sadauki, have spoken these words and so it shall be in the mighty name of Yeshua HaMashiach, the God whose I am and the God whom I serve.
To our people I say do not be detered, do not be dismayed and do not be afraid for the Lord our God is with us.
I say the Egyptians we see today, we shall see them no more.
I say fight the good fight with all thy might without regret or relenting in the knowledge that good always prevails over evil.
I say seek victory and achieve it for our nation, for our women, for our children and for future generations yet unborn.
This we must do and God will give us the strength and courage to do it.
For our great nation Nigeria it is LIFE, VICTORY and a NEW and GREAT beginning but for ISWAP, Ansaru, Boko Haram, Lakurawa and the Legions of Hell behind them, it is DEATH, DEFEAT and DESTRUCTION.
Peace, joy, abundance, prosperity, hope, strength, courage, love, unity, long life, all manner of blessings and a glorious and expected end is our future and our portion and nothing can change it.
Whether it be affliction, trial, tribulation, persecution, infirmity, pain, loss, suffering, lack, incarceration, torture, humiliation or even death, as the Book of Romans 8: 31-39 said, NOTHING can separate us from the love of the Lord and nothing can negate or break the sure word and promises of Christ Jesus.
He is is our strength, our shield, our glory and the lifter of our heads.
He SHALL see us through and deliver us from the hand of the heathen and bloodthirsty and evil men.
I conclude with the words of Psalm 35:1,
“O Lord, contend against those who contend against us, fight against those who fight against us, take hold of shield and buckler and rise for our help, draw the spear and javelin against our pursuers, say to our souls I am your deliverance”.
So it is and so it shall be in the mighty name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ of Nazareth, son of the Living God!
(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Culture and Tourism, a former Minister of Aviation, the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, the Otunba of Joga Orile, the Aare Ajagunla of Otun Ekiti and a legal practitioner)
Awujale Succession: Traditionalists Back Gov Abiodun’s Intervention
…Harps On Sanctity, Integrity of The Selection Process
A group of traditionalists in all the towns and villages across Ijebuland has commended the Ogun state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for his timely intervention in halting the selection process of the Awujale vacant stool.
The socio-cultural group said the temporary suspension of the process would allow room for critical assessment of the exercise in order to uphold the sanctity and integrity of the highly revered throne.
They made their stance known on Tuesday, January 10, 2026 while addressing journalists at their secretariat in Ijebu Ode.
The traditionalists added that the Governor’s decision was in strict compliance with the 2021 Ogun State Chieftaincy Law “which clearly empowers the government to intervene whenever there are issues capable of undermining the process, fairness and public confidence”.
Speaking at the meeting, Iyalorisa General of Ijebuland, Chief (Mrs) Osoteku Alawiye expressed confidence in the Governor’s action, but noted that a credible and qualified candidate from the ruling house must emerge at the end of the selection process.
According to her, the Awujale stool is one of the most revered traditional institutions in Yoruba land and a paramount stool in Ogun State, and should be accorded a high level dignity it really deserves”, Chief (Mrs) Alawiye added .
They appealed to Gov Abiodun not to listen to detractors who were hell-bent in scuttling the selection process, stressing that as traditionalists, they are also closely monitoring the process so far for the betterment of the entire sons and daughters of Ijebuland.
Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham’s Box Office Success Result Of Strategic Marketing- Banwo
Dr. Ope Banwo has offered a business-focused explanation for the sustained box-office success of Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham, arguing that their dominance is the result of strategic market alignment rather than luck or social media gimmicks.
Responding to criticism from some veteran actors and filmmakers over cinema promotion styles, Banwo explained that film marketing is ultimately about driving human behaviour—ticket purchases—not preserving dignity or tradition.
“Cinema marketing is not about what feels respectable to producers,” Banwo said. “It’s about what moves people to show up and pay.”
He described Akindele’s success as a textbook example of systems thinking, noting that she combined acting talent with production control, distribution knowledge, audience intelligence, and aggressive marketing.
The result, he said, includes five straight years of box-office leadership, multiple billion-naira cinema runs, and ownership of four of the top five highest-grossing Nollywood films of all time.
Banwo placed Toyin Abraham just behind Akindele, describing her as Gen-Z-literate by strategy rather than age, with a strong grasp of market psychology and audience engagement.
He noted that while some producers rely on third-party funding and pre-sales to streaming platforms, others must recoup investments directly from cinema audiences, making marketing hustle unavoidable.
“The women being criticised are accountable to the market,” Banwo said. “They face the audience directly, and the audience keeps rewarding them.”
Banwo concluded that until alternative strategies consistently outperform the current box-office leaders, criticism should give way to data-driven analysis.
“In cinema, the scoreboard does not lie,” he said. “And right now, the market has spoken.”
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