Tinubu, Like Buhari, Has Kept All Campaign Promises

By Ikeddy Isiguzo—-

A surprising aspect of Nigerians’ relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is their failure to acknowledge that he, elected in 2023 against advice, is a parochial, vicious, and uncaring man, much like Buhari, whose sanctimonious demeanour served him well.

Buhari was hailed by his ardent supporters as a holy man surrounded by evil people. One wonders how such individuals could get close to someone like him. Buhari appeared equally confused about how to handle his chosen associates, and his ruination of Nigeria is worse than abandoning a ship with its passengers adrift while remaining deaf to their pleas for survival.

Buhari is gone, but the entrenched interests he supported are determined to lead Nigerians down unsustainable paths that bring the country closer to grave morbidity.

Why does Tinubu surprise anyone? Did he not state his intention to continue where Buhari left off? Did that deter all anti-people, anti-democratic forces from rallying resources to install Tinubu in 2023? By voting for Tinubu, Nigerians essentially said, “We enjoyed Buhari; please complete the agenda.”

Can we claim that after eight gruelling years under Buhari, Tinubu has cast a spell on us in 2023? When he told us from London that he would “snatch, grab, and run with it,” referring to his election strategy, did many of us not enable him by praising him as the great strategist?

Tinubu signalled his intentions clearly. Millions, driven by narrow religious and ethnic passions, voted for him. The Muslim-Muslim ticket was a non-issue at the time; we were assured of the APC’s ticket, which featured both the presidential and vice-presidential candidates as Muslims.

However, even Tinubu appears uncertain about the merits of a Muslim-Muslim ticket as he now fights for survival. Whispers suggest he may want to replace Vice President Kashim Shettima for the 2027 election, potentially appointing a Christian from the North. This would serve as proof to the Americans that Christians are not persecuted in Nigeria.

With 2027 approaching, there are opportunities to end the 12 years of Buhari and Tinubu, years spent making the country unproductive through divisiveness, a lack of transparency in resource management, and insecurity that has hindered Nigeria’s ability to harness its resources, feed its people, and keep them safe. Tinubu is being promoted as a potential victor for the 2027 election.

If you question what record makes him the candidate for the job in 2027, they scoff at you, accusing you of ethnicity, blindness, ingratitude to Tinubu, or being a remnant of an outdated past. Tinubu made many promises during his 2023 campaign, one of which was that no one should vote for him for a second term if there was no constant electricity supply by 2027.

The opposition ADC, by July 2025, reminded Tinubu of this promise: “By all means necessary, you must provide electricity. And you will no longer pay estimated bills. A promise made is a promise kept. If I don’t keep my promise and seek a second term, don’t vote for me,” Tinubu told a gathering at a business lunch in Lagos in December 2022.

As I write this column on Friday, the national grid has collapsed again. Video clips of Tinubu’s electricity promise are circulating widely on social media, with comments reflecting a mix of sarcasm and disbelief. “Let us note that this is the first collapse of the national grid in 2026,” remarked one commentator. Is he hinting that more collapses are forthcoming? Could he be among those praising Tinubu for not allowing the grid to collapse since the beginning of the year?

Tinubu’s electricity promise, however, was specifically directed at those who attended that business lunch—neither you nor I were included. We cannot remind him of that promise if we weren’t there.

A significant concern for Tinubu does not revolve around you and me; he is worried about the Americans, who possess extensive documents about his past that he fought hard to keep from the public eye in 2023. He is willing to do almost anything to secure another term in 2027.

What you choose to do with Tinubu in 2027 is your business, but don’t blame anyone if you vote for a candidate who promised hardship and has remained faithful to that promise.

Finally…

EMEKA Umeagbalasi is a familiar figure in the NGO community, having led the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (InterSociety) since 2008 after an apprenticeship with the Civil Liberties Organisation, which he joined in 1994. For him—a screwdriver salesman in Onitsha—to be a source of intelligence for President Donald Trump suggests a collapse within the United States intelligence community, perhaps even a setback for Trump. However, the sinister motives behind that New York Times report were even deeper. Umeagbalasi, from the South-East, was cast as the reason for American bombings in the North-East—not banditry, kidnapping, or the fuel that illegal mining provides for insecurity. The New York Times must be in steep decline if such a report, stripped of journalistic integrity, passed through its vetting process.

A version of what I call official trafficking in humans continues in the North-West. Kajuru in Kaduna State was the centre of an abduction of 117 people, including children, during church services last Sunday, in broad daylight. Two churches were involved. This type of Christian persecution is a story our governments wish to avoid. The bandits have reportedly assured that the abductees will be returned safely if they are paid N28.9 million for the bikes destroyed by the military during their attacks. Only after payment for the bikes will they negotiate the ransom for their latest victims. How can bandits move 117 people without being stopped? Many things are wrong.

RIVERS State remains in the news for the same troubling reasons. The State’s Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Chibuzor Amadi, deserves praise for refusing to set up a committee to investigate allegations against the Governor, which stem from Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s refusal to accept the terms of an illegal agreement aimed at rendering him a puppet Governor, permanently abridging his ability to fulfill his duties.

The Senate Ad hoc Committee on National Security has released a report that states, quite emphatically, that illegal gold mining is responsible for insecurity in the North-West. The January 2026 report identifies illegal artisanal gold mining as a primary driver of insecurity in Nigeria’s North-West. In July 2024, Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, stated that illegal gold mining accounted for nearly 80 per cent of the insecurity in the North-East. Reports from 2010, 16 years ago, attributed the death of over 400 children to lead poisoning from illegal gold mining. Delays in combating these illegalities suggest that more powerful individuals are joining the “gold rush.” While Buhari ignored illegal miners, Tinubu addresses the issue with mere words.

APC supporters are busy advising the ADC on which presidential candidates can unseat Tinubu and which cannot. It is intriguing to see that some beneficiaries of Tinubu’s administration are among those eager to see him go.

Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor, a beloved Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State known for his intellect, service, hard work, and loyalty, will be laid to rest on Friday, January 30, in his hometown of Ofoni, Sagbama Local Government Area. He was a worthy representative of his people in his roles as Commissioner, Senator, and Deputy Governor.

According to the Bayelsa State Government, the four-day burial program will commence on Tuesday, January 27, with sports activities, continuing through January 28 and 29, culminating in the burial on January 30. May the Almighty rest Dr. Ewhrudjakpor. Amen.

*Isiguzo is a major commentator on minor issues.