The Revolution Nigeria Deserves

By Valentine Obienyem—-

Revolution is not merely a dramatic or violent overthrow of governments; it is, more profoundly, a warning signal that societies emit, much like a volcano spewing lava, when injustice, corruption, exclusion, and moral or material degradation have reached intolerable levels.

It arises when established institutions lose their legitimacy – and in Nigeria, of which institution is this not true? – and when the social contract between rulers and the ruled collapses. In such moments, revolution becomes the language of a people who have exhausted peaceful avenues of redress and can no longer endure the weight of systemic failure.

In other words, revolution functions as a painful but necessary process of renewal. It involves weeding out entrenched falsehoods and surgically removing decayed structures and destructive habits that choke the life of a society. By clearing away what has become irredeemably dysfunctional, revolution creates the possibility – though not the guarantee – of a fresh beginning. It offers a nation a chance to rediscover its values, reconstruct its institutions, and realign power with justice, dignity, and the common good.

History offers powerful illustrations of this truth. In the French Revolution, the accumulated suffering of ordinary people eventually broke the bonds of obedience and unleashed one of the most consequential upheavals in modern history. The careless speech of Marie Antoinette was merely a trigger. Reflecting on this process, Mirabeau posed a piercing question: “Have these men studied, in the history of any people, how revolutions commence and how they are carried out? Have they observed by what a fatal chain of circumstances the wisest men are driven far beyond the limits of moderation, and by what terrible impulses an enraged people is precipitated into excesses at the very thought of which they would have shuddered?”

His warning exposed a central truth of revolutionary moments: that upheavals are not initially driven by extremists, but by the steady pressure of injustice and neglect. When left unchecked, this pressure pushes even the most moderate societies and individuals toward desperate and radical ends.

What happened in France was not unique. Throughout history, revolutions have erupted because ordinary people were pushed to the breaking point by unbearable conditions. Recently, I met a lawyer who had been detained by security agencies for months over a matter that could have been resolved in less than a week. In his own case, he had a wealthy brother who supported him.

What, then, of those who do not have an “Abraham” to stand by them? When he was finally released, he was so frustrated and disillusioned that he expressed a willingness to join any revolutionary movement he could find, eager to fight against the injustices that had made life in Nigeria so difficult for many.

The American Revolution burned with resentment against colonial exploitation and the denial of political representation; the Haitian Revolution erupted under the brutal yoke of slavery and racial dehumanisation; the Chinese Revolution was powered by deep poverty, social exploitation, and foreign domination; and the Arab Spring sprang from frustration with corruption, unemployment, repression, and stolen futures.

These historical moments share common causes: inequality, systemic corruption, political exclusion, economic hardship, abuse of power, suppression of basic freedoms, erosion of dignity, and, above all, the collapse of hope – much like our computer collapsed under a “Mohmoodian” glitch – in the possibility of reform within existing systems.

Even in our own time, this pattern continues to repeat itself. Today, a different kind of revolution is unfolding thousands of miles away in Iran, where widespread protests have erupted across cities like Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Mashhad, driven by soaring inflation, a deepening economic crisis, and public anger at entrenched political and religious leadership. Demonstrations began with economic grievances – skyrocketing prices and a collapsing currency – but have swiftly grown into broader challenges to the regime’s authority and legitimacy. Authorities have responded with force, internet shutdowns, and mass arrests, reflecting how desperate governments react when people reach their limits.

Against this global background, Nigeria’s situation becomes even clearer. In Nigeria, too, the conditions for revolutionary pressure exist. Corruption has become systemic; public resources are routinely plundered, basic services are missing, and inequality grows every year. Economic hardship is now a daily reality for millions of citizens. The failures of leadership – political, economic, and moral – have left ordinary Nigerians with shrinking opportunities, growing insecurity, and diminishing trust in the state.

Meaningful change cannot come through polite silence alone; it will require the righteous indignation of citizens who refuse to accept mediocrity and corruption as normal.

Yet, despite this growing pressure, the people of Nigeria today are disillusioned. The conditions that Mirabeau described – a fatal chain of circumstances driving citizens beyond moderation – are visible in the everyday struggles of Nigerians who grapple with unemployment, insecurity, inflation, and political exclusion. Many who once placed their trust in peaceful, constitutional change now question whether the system can be transformed from within without a fundamental break with past habits of governance.

However, at this point, an important caution must be introduced. Here, we must recognise a vital point captured by Durant: violent revolution often destroys more than it creates, and only a profound shift in national character and values can build lasting progress. Durant argued that revolutions that fail to transform the underlying moral and intellectual principles of a society often lead to new forms of corruption or stagnation. The true revolution Nigeria needs is a break with the past, a transformation of civic culture, ethics of leadership, and public participation. This is the revolution that undermines corruption, enthrones accountability, and restores hope.

Therefore, Nigeria today stands at such a crossroads. Economic decay, political mismanagement, and social despair could drive people to extremes that few would have imagined – exactly what Mirabeau warned against. But the choice is not merely between chaos and calm; it is between a revolution of character and purpose and a slow descent into disorder. What Nigeria needs is a revolution of renewal, exemplified by strong, ethical leaders like Peter Obi, and a citizenry determined to reclaim its future not through destruction, but through restoration and reform.

This brings us directly to why Obi is mentioned. The reference to Obi is grounded in his antecedents. We know what Anambra State used to be before he governed it, precisely under Mbadinuju, and that memory reminds us of what Nigeria has become today. Things have gone terribly wrong. Anambra itself had drifted into decay until 2006, when a disruptive meteor entered its orbit and altered its course. He introduced policies that stimulated inventiveness, industry, and thrift. He marched through the fiscal with an economising scythe, abolishing offices that carried emoluments without duties and restoring discipline, purpose, and direction to governance.

In the same spirit, only by breaking decisively with the patterns that have held us back can a new Nigeria, one that is possible, begin. Just as Obi, our meteor, altered the orbit of Anambra, so does Nigeria now need a leader like him capable of altering its own trajectory. By confronting and dismantling the corruption, impunity, and complacency that have taken root at the national level in Nigeria, the country can truly transform.

Ultimately, the world has witnessed revolutions that toppled regimes, but history teaches that lasting change does not come merely from the fall of governments; it comes from a transformation in a society’s values, priorities, and collective will. Let that be the revolution Nigeria seeks today: not a revolution of burning buildings, but one fueled by a burning desire for justice, integrity, discipline, and a shared sense of national purpose.

Consequently, to achieve this, the country definitely does not need the likes of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu. Each day he remains as president, arising from a stolen mandate, brings untold hardship upon the people. Nigerians are tired and are just waiting for 2027 to do the needful. Indeed, there is nothing more revulsive in the history of governance in Nigeria than the rise of PBAT, or more comforting than the thought of Mr. Peter Obi becoming the next president.

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