Tinubu’s Leadership Rejected: Why 84% of Nigerians Have Lost Faith in His Presidency

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

In the latest political earthquake shaking Nigeria’s socio-political foundation, a staggering 84% of Nigerians have expressed dissatisfaction with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, according to recent polls conducted by reputable local and international research institutions. For a man who rode into Aso Rock on the back of a deeply controversial and divisive election, this rejection is not just a red flag, it is a thunderous indictment of his administration’s glaring incompetence, tribal politics and economic failure.

“Nobody supports Tinubu because of competency,” says Oduwole O’seun Oba, a respected socio-political analyst. “He has three classes of supporters: the people who want their tribe to be in power; those who want their party to retain power; and the third class are those who do not want to lose their fraudulent means of income.”

Oba’s words are not just brutally honest, they are emblematic of a growing public frustration among Nigerians who feel deceived, abandoned and crushed under the weight of Tinubu’s catastrophic leadership. In less than two years, the once lofty promises of “Renewed Hope” have turned into widespread despair, as the country sinks deeper into economic chaos, insecurity and political paralysis.

A Presidency Built on Ethnic Loyalty and Elite Greed

It is no secret that Bola Tinubu’s political machinery was fueled by ethnic sentiment and elite patronage. In the 2023 election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to deliver a credible electoral process. Ballot box snatching, vote suppression and deliberate failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) marred the process. Even international observers such as the European Union Election Observation Mission described the election as “marred by lack of transparency and operational failures.”

But the real tragedy came after the inauguration. Rather than form a government of national unity, Tinubu’s appointments showed blatant ethnic bias. Over 80% of strategic security and economic positions went to individuals from the South-West or closely allied political cronies, sidelining the North-Central, South-East and Niger Delta in a dangerous show of ethnic favoritism.

“Tinubu is not governing Nigeria; he’s governing his political family,” says Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum. “This is the most exclusionary government we’ve had since 1999.”

From ‘Renewed Hope’ to National Suffering
Tinubu’s economic policies have not only failed but they have devastated the lives of ordinary Nigerians. His infamous decision to remove fuel subsidies on Day One of his presidency plunged the country into an economic tailspin. Without any safety nets or contingency plans, transport costs skyrocketed, food prices doubled and millions fell below the poverty line. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), over 133 million Nigerians now live in multidimensional poverty, the worst figure recorded in Nigerian history.

His floating of the naira has been equally disastrous. The national currency collapsed from ₦460 to over ₦1,600 to the dollar within months, causing inflation to balloon to 33.69% as of May 2025, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“How can you float your currency when you’re not exporting anything of value and you’re importing even toothpicks?” said Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, former CBN governor and now Anambra State Governor. “That’s not reform; that’s economic suicide.”

Nigerians Speak: The Streets Are Bleeding
Across the country, from Lagos to Maiduguri, Port Harcourt to Kano, the cries of Nigerians echo through the markets, campuses and social media. Civil servants cannot feed their families. Graduates are roaming the streets jobless. Businesses are shutting down in droves due to unbearable operating costs and erratic power supply.

“Tinubu’s policies have wiped out my entire capital,” says Mariam Musa, a petty trader in Kaduna. “I borrowed money to start my provision store. Now everything is finished. I cannot even send my child to school.”

According to a 2025 SBM Intelligence report, over 7,000 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have shut down across Nigeria in the last year. The unemployment rate stands at a shocking 41%, with youth unemployment even higher.

Security: Nigeria Has Become a Killing Field
While Tinubu jets off to conferences and summits across the globe, bandits, terrorists and kidnappers have turned Nigeria into a slaughterhouse. In the first five months of 2025 alone, over 3,200 Nigerians have been killed or kidnapped, based on data compiled by the Nigerian Security Tracker (NST), a project of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Just this April, 30 villagers were massacred in Benue State, while Boko Haram has re-emerged with new strength in the North-East, according to Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, who lamented that “we are losing ground again.”

The military is demoralized. The police are underfunded. And President Tinubu’s response? Silence or vague platitudes.

The Elites Are Eating While the Masses Starve
As ordinary Nigerians groan under suffering, the political class is feasting. The National Assembly recently approved a ₦70 billion “palliative” for themselves, while civil servants in over 20 states still haven’t received the ₦70,000 minimum wage promised in June 2024.

President Tinubu himself approved ₦10 billion for solar panels in Aso Rock, shortly after declaring the national grid was “improving.” It is now clear that the “hope” he promised was only meant for the elite and not the people.

“People are not angry because Tinubu failed,” tweeted Aisha Yesufu, a prominent activist. “They are angry because he never cared.”

Credibility Crisis and International Shame
Tinubu’s credibility is also in tatters internationally. His alleged involvement in a 1990s drug trafficking case in the United States resurfaced after a U.S. court ordered the FBI and DEA to release files linking him to illicit drug proceeds, a scandal he has never convincingly explained. The implications are serious, Nigeria is now seen as a kleptocracy run by tainted leaders, affecting foreign direct investment and diplomatic respect.

“Can you imagine the president of a G20 country with unresolved drug allegations?” said Prof. Pat Utomi. “This is a disgrace. We have gone from a giant to a laughingstock.”

Where Do We Go from Here?
Nigeria cannot afford four years of this nightmare. Civil society must rise. The judiciary must stop acting as an extension of political power. Nigerians must demand accountability; not just in 2027, but now.

Tinubu’s government has failed every metric: economic stability, security, national unity and democratic credibility. This is not a matter of opposition politics, it is a matter of national survival.

“Nigeria is bleeding, not because we lack resources but because we lack righteous leadership,” said the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi. That statement has never been more relevant than today.

Final Words: Enough Is Enough
When 84% of Nigerians say they do not believe in their president’s leadership, that is not an opinion. That is a national referendum. Bola Tinubu has failed. He GOVERNS not with VISION, but with VENGEANCE and VANITY.

The question now is not whether Nigeria will survive his presidency; it is whether Nigerians will survive it.

And to the remaining 16% who still cheer him on despite the hunger, killings and corruption, one must ask: WHAT ARE YOU REALLY DEFENDING; TRIBE, PARTY, OR YOUR SHARE OF THE LOOT?

Because clearly, you are not defending Nigeria.

Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com