In light of his planned astronomical hike in petrol prices euphemistically called “subsidy removal” in 2023, which his opponents also promised to implement and caused Nigerians embrace as inevitable and desirable, I foretold the imminent social convulsion that is gathering momentum across Nigeria now.

“I can assure Tinubu that if petrol price hikes deepen people’s misery, he’ll have a tough time governing,” I wrote in my April 29, 2023, column. I followed this up with more than half a dozen columns on the same theme.

When you remove subsidies from an all-important product like petrol that literally regulates every facet of life in a country like Nigeria, which also has the dubious honor of being in perpetual competition with India for the status of the world's poverty capital, and then follow it up with a massive devaluation of the national currency even when the country is hopelessly import-dependent, you unleash existential demons that compel vast swaths of people to choose between life and death.

False assurances that the mass agony in the country is only temporary, or that the pains people are grappling with are mere precursors to future gains, or even that there is light at the end of the tunnel only aggravate people’s angst. There are two reasons for this.

One, most people know that based on past experiences in Nigeria (notably during IBB’s ruinous SAP, which Tinubu merely repurposed and renamed) and elsewhere in the developing world where the IMF and the World Bank dictate economic policies, there has never been a single example of these sorts of pains ever transforming into gains for the masses of the people.

Second, people outside the circles of power and privilege realize that the pains are being borne only by the poor. Tinubu, for example, bought a new presidential jet worth millions of dollars even before the spineless National Assembly had a chance to rubber-stamp it, as is now their wont, among other profligate expenditures amid a biting economic downturn.

People who are visiting darkness on the poor in the name of a deferred light at the end of the tunnel are glowing in incandescent bulbs of illumination. And the people are intelligent enough to know that what awaits them at the end of this disconsolate tunnel isn’t light. It’s an inferno. It’s a dreary snake pit of doom and gloom.

When people come to this realization, no one needs to “sponsor” them to protest. The pangs of hunger they feel is sufficient to sponsor them to protest. The sensation of hopelessness that overcomes them is a bigger motive force for protest than the political machinations of any politician.

But even if it’s true that opposition politicians are taking advantage of the mass discontent in the country to cripple the government and delegitimize it for their self-interest, that’s not illegal. It’s an intrinsic element of democracies for opposition parties to seize on the missteps of incumbents to displace them.

President Tinubu is in power today precisely because he mastered the art of instrumentalizing the missteps of incumbents to advance his political aspirations. As recently as 2012, he “sponsored” a disruptive protest against former President Goodluck Jonathan that led to the deaths of protesters—for precisely what he is doing to Nigerians now.

No amount of persuasion or financial inducement of traditional rulers, religious clerics, union leaders, or activists will get people to make peace with needless suffering occasioned by a self-centered, hard-hearted implementation of vicious economic policies that snuff the life out of the people. Even if the planned protests are aborted, the predictable is only being postponed.

The only way Tinubu can retain legitimacy and earn the trust of the people is to reverse the deep, stinging hurt his policies have caused to the vast majority of our people. People are no longer interested in progress or the renewal of hope. They just want Tinubu to take them back to where he met them, which was not an enviable state. And that’s not too much to ask.

In a February 10, 2024, column titled “Hunger Protests: Why Tinubu Can’t Govern Like Buhari,” I said the spontaneous, hunger-induced eruption of seething communal anger in Minna, Suleja, Kano, and Osogbo were “a warning sign” that Tinubu couldn’t afford to ignore. He ignored it.

He is probably following the Buhari template of enacting unpopular policies and relying on the blind support of his worshipers to shield him from the consequences of his actions. But Tinubu has no such following, and I am glad he doesn’t, which is why I would hate for someone like Peter Obi or Rabiu Kwankwaso to be president.

They are political cult leaders with unthinking, fanatical followers who lose their damned minds if you as much utter the mildest critical remark about their gods, however factual it may be. Like Buharists, they have abdicated their senses to their political gods.

I reproduce here a portion of the column to remind Tinubu why he can’t benefit from the kind of immunity Buhari enjoyed:

“Had the current president been Muhammadu Buhari and not Bola Ahmed Tinubu, chances are that the worst that would happen amid the adversity people are going through now would be suppressed, barely audible murmurs. It’s because Buhari is a political cult leader with a firm grip on his followers who worship him and surrender responsibility for their lives over to him. Tinubu has no such appeal.

“A psychologist by the name of Steve Taylor came up with a concept he called ‘abdication syndrome,’ which he said disposes people to invest total, child-like trust in a political figure, a cult leader, an opinion molder, etc. in ways that mimic how children idealize and idolize their parents as unblemished paragons of perfection.

“According to Taylor, ‘abdication syndrome stems from the unconscious desire of some people to return to a state of early childhood, when their parents were infallible, omnipotent figures who controlled their lives and protected them from the world. They’re trying to rekindle that childhood state of unconditional devotion and irresponsibility.’

“Buhari is lucky to benefit from abdication syndrome in Muslim northern Nigeria, broadly conceived, which explains why he got away with murder for eight years. When he increased petrol prices by a steep margin in 2016, for instance, there were protests in Kano, Bauchi, and other places in SUPPORT of the increase and AGAINST people who planned to protest the increase. Nigeria had never seen anything like that before.

“Even protests against the unabating descent of northern Nigeria into a theater of bloodshed and abduction on Buhari’s watch provoked counter protests from people who have abdicated the use of their brains in the service of Buhari.

“Tinubu not only does not have the benefit of abdication syndrome anywhere in Nigeria, but he also has the misfortune of having to contend with a peculiar character of Muslim northern Nigeria: we feel the pain of, and react violently to, bad policies only when the policies are hatched and executed by people who have no filiation with our natal region.

“It’s no surprise that the hunger protests against the Tinubu administration started from and spread in the North.

“A powerful indication of Tinubu’s lack of firm emotional support base emerged when Osun, his state of birth where he lost the last presidential election to PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, became the first southern state to join the hunger protests. Should the resistance to his punishingly heartless neoliberal economic policies ignite a nationwide convulsion, the Southwest is unlikely to constitute itself as his bulwark.

“In fact, I hazard a guess that should Tinubu’s unfeeling policies activate the sort of destabilizing national upheaval that we saw in 2012 during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, the Southwest won’t be aloof. It is likely to join in.

“And, of course, Tinubu is deeply unpopular in the Southeast, the South-south, and Christian northern Nigeria. In other words, Tinubu is essentially floundering into the most treacherous of social quicksands.

“His only fortification against danger is not just good governance but compassionate governance. The release of thousands of metric tons of grains is a good first step, but it’s not nearly enough to stem the tide of mass rebellion that is brewing in the country. At best, it will only delay the inevitable.

“The truth is that Nigeria can’t survive a total withdrawal of petroleum subsidies without an adequate, systematic, well-planned public transportation system. To do away with petrol subsidies, the government must first create conditions where car ownership and patronage of commercial transportation are a luxury.”

https://www.farooqkperogi.com/2024/07/protests-tinubus-real-troubles-are-just.html?m=1

Let's all give it up for tilumbu 👏

He hit the ground running 🏃‍♂️

During the campaign period last year anybody who dare to oppose Mr Peter Obi on any issue is quickly aggressively attacked by the Obidient mob, in fact they gave no body the right to make their own choice or ask questions of a man who was governor for 8 years, they just want you to join the moving train or you're gonna be canceled, he's been portrayed as a very clean, not corrupt and a messiah, when you dare ask about his past they just attack you and tag you an enemy of Nigeria, the Image they gave him doesn't suit any of the Nigerian politicians, dissent isn't allowed in their dictionary and to be very honest with you guys, if Peter Obi had won nobody will have the right to protest in Nigeria.


Modified : to all the useless mob quoting me, the title of this tread was initially "why I don't want Peter Obi or Kwakwaso to rule Nigeria" I believe it was edited by the mod before they sent it to front page, it was because of their headless mob who have sacrificed their Brain in the altar of politics, you guys could bare all the hunger and death during the Naira War Emefiele waged on Nigerians because you thought it would be in your favour, I don't care about anybody protesting, it is the right of Nigerians, nobody can tell anybody not to protest, but if Obi had won, you guys will attack anybody who want to protest just like an headless mob.

Your opinion, thoughts and imaginations are entirely yours and cannot decide the fate of others (like obi or kwankwaso).

Classless, meaningless and incoherent article...

Tinubu is on the right track. And he will govern till 2031 at least, if the constitution is not ammended for 3rd Term...

No gain without pain... The economy will soon turn the corner, and we shall all celebrate.

May God Bless Nigeria.

Ok

Not by your predictions, what will be will be

They said the fuel subsidy wasn't for the poor but for the rich.
He went further to float the Naira for a country that is not dependent on export.
Increased levies on imports, removed electricity subsidies, increased tax, multiple taxation!
Asked us to tighten our belts and sacrifice. Yet they live large on our money.
Gwo, gwo, ngwo.

You don't want the best candidate to rule because people support them?

Which is more or a cult.. People who support the best available candidate
Or people who support and obvious bad candidate

The fact that people think Obedients can control Peter Obi means they haven't done any single research about the man or his politics... Obi had similar support in Anambra with ojukwu backing and stuff like that

Did they control him? .. People need to ask why Anambra people changed his name from AdaObi to Okute

As far as Obi believe he is doing the right thing he is brutal ask around

Anambra had the worst cabal of God fathers till Obi humbled them.. I mean people the president at that point feared

Oga say the real reason u don't want Obi and stop being a coward

So it is the fella that you confirmed forged certificate lied shamelessly about fuel subsidy, but was siphoning heavy resources to furnish the same corruption? A fella that unilaterally floated the naira for a country that is not dependent on export without due consultation with relevant stakeholder?

Increased levies on imports, removed electricity subsidies, increased tax, multiple taxation! The tell suffering citizens to tighten our belts and sacrifice while they continue to live in annoying opulence? Bloody hypocrite

Your opinion, your headache

Nice one...

Thank God Nigerians are woke..

Tinubu remains a Yoruba god and limited to his Yoruba worshippers .. that comes online to abuse non worshippers of their foolish demented god

Yoruba people believe Nigerians the reason like them.. and it keep hitting bricks.. you tell em truth.. they rush back with major insult.. like say it changed anything

Tinubu is not a cult figure ..

A lout , a Yoruba god limited to his shrine .. if Yoruba on social media think they can gbo gbo Nigerians with yorubatic lamba and narratives..

Then they will be in for a huge surprise.. their god may not last two years in asovilla

That’s the pure fact

Yoruba man can doubt this.. Na their wahala

Reality is becoming so clear to the government of the day.. and his Yoruba minds.

God bless Nigerians

Do we have governors in Nigeria at all? What exactly are they doing to help the people? How come no one ever talk about state governors who collectively collects about 48% of all revenues accruable to the Federation Account?

But wait...

Nigeria as a nation is going down.. and everyone and everything is shaking..

Everything is in all time high..

Yet the average Yoruba man problem is igbos obidients , North.. bla bla..

Even with the whole ish.. Na still yoruba people dey suffer much .. go through ekiti Oyo ondo osun ogun and pity this humans .. yet they mount of social media to lament Lagos

Are lagosians more Yoruba than the rest of the Yoruba states?

Yoruba should wake to reality

The whole noise from them concerning the economic and clueless government of their god is nauseating and sound so foolish

Tueh

I dare to disagree with Farooq on dis one....Obodients are just zealous people with conscience for good governance....while Buharis overzealous north inclined supporters failed, Obi may not have it thus with Obodients if he dares fail....as for Tinubu....I rather we give him time than protest for now....say 2 or 3 years.....d north didnt protest for Buhari so y will d south protest?

Farooq Kperogi is spot on. We’ve seen enough of these politicians playing the same old game.

Peter Obi and Kwankwaso are just two sides of the same coin, always promising change but delivering nothing but noise. It's time we demand real leadership, not just recycled politicians with shiny slogans.

If Tinubu can't continue, we might as well just let Atiku take over. I will campaign for Atiku.

ALTERNATEID:
Do we have governors in Nigeria at all? What exactly are they doing to help the people? How come no one ever talk about state governors who collectively collects about 48% of all revenues accruable to the Federation Account?

A large percentage of the population are illiterates. Nobody cares about the governors. Lol.

The writeup is true

However with the cult followership of obi, his followers would demand accountability from him. Even now, if he does wrong, he is reprimanded

CilicMarin:
Classless, meaningless and incoherent article...llTinubu is on the right track. And he will govern till 2031 at least, if the constitution is not ammended for 3rd Term...lNo gain without pain... The economy will soon turn the corner, and we shall all celebrate.May God Bless Nigeria.

Same nonsense you did with the calamitous 8 years of the Buhari’s clueless, useless, directionless and destructive presidency NgeneUkwunu? Abeg rest this thing

CilicMarin:
Classless, meaningless and incoherent article...

Tinubu is on the right track. And he will govern till 2031 at least, if the constitution is not ammended for 3rd Term...

No gain without pain... The economy will soon turn the corner, and we shall all celebrate.

May God Bless Nigeria.

You have not learnt anything ftom chanting sai baba back to back. Tinubu is now on the right track because he is feedinng a grown man who dishes lies deceit & propaganda to earn the miserable stipends

You are still towing the part of senselessness, hopelessness, misery you hyped from 2015 until 2023. There are kids who were 5 yrs old in 2015, today they are 14, with a greater intelligence to deciper that your Allla Tinubu is/was never on the right track

How old are you ?

He is probably following the Buhari template of enacting unpopular policies and relying on the blind support of his worshipers to shield him from the consequences of his actions. But Tinubu has no such following, and I am glad he doesn’t, which is why I would hate for someone like Peter Obi or Rabiu Kwankwaso to be president.

That's true.

After the long nonsense epistle, who is now his preferred candidate? Atiku Abubakar?

A classic case of misplaced priorities. Farooq is right; we can't afford to hand over the reins to politicians who have consistently shown they are out of touch with the realities of governance. Obi and Kwankwaso seem more interested in personal glory than actual progress for Nigeria. Just another round of the same old charade.

This fool again.

Yorubas have destroyed Nigeria, the whole world and the rest of Nigerians can see it already, thank God we are in the era of social media where every Nigerian can see the truth unveiling before our very own eyes, so Yorubas wont have the chance to come back tomorrow to use media lies and propaganda to change the truth we are witnessing today like they always do in the past. Yorubas are currently in charge of everything in Nigeria, from President to CBN Governor to Finance Minister to Chief Justice of Nigeria to Attorney General to Chief of Army staff, to Police IG, to Customs Comptroller to Immigration comptroller to EFCC Chairman to FIRS, to virtually all sectors of Nigeria, so Yorubas cannot come tomorrow and lie as usual that it wasn't them that destroyed Nigeria.



Anybody advising Yorubas to shun tribalism is wasting his or her time talking to Yorubas to quit tribalism.


Yoruba elites including this looting criminal pretending to be President organized a protest against Goodluck Jonathan's government for removing petrol subsidy, nobody tagged that their Ojota protest a Yoruba protest.


But take a look at what Yorubas have turned Nigerian politics into ever since Peter Obi came out to contest for Presidency, the first time majority of Igbos stood behind an Igbo Presidential candidate even in an unpopular party yet Yorubas saw it as a big threat that they had to turn the whole campaign era till election to a tribal war but they forgot all the years Igbos have been massively campaigning and voting Yoruba Presidential candidates, from MKO Abiola they always lied that Igbos did not vote for to Obasanjo they claimed that Igbos did not vote but voted PDP.


These demon possessed Yorubas have succeeded in rigging in their drug Lord as President yet they cannot focus and help their failing criminal brother to govern well instead they are still stuck on attacking Igbos, playing opposition even when the Presidential power, army, Police, EFCC, CBN, Finance, Immigration, Customs, etc are in their hands, and you say they are not cursed?


If you don't know who the demon is, take a closer look at an average Yoruba man, especially one that ventures into politics, only few Yorubas are exceptional human beings, the rest of them are demonic liars, unreliable backstabbers, betrayers and cunning in nature.



Below is 1993 Presidential election result showing how Igbos massively voted MKO Abiola they always lie that Igbos did not vote for, very demon possessed tribe

You have just one vote my dear

mrvitalis:
You don't want the best candidate to rule because people support them?

Which is more or a cult.. People who support the best available candidate
Or people who support and obvious bad candidate

The fact that people think Obedients can control Peter Obi means they haven't done any single research about the man or his politics... Obi had similar support in Anambra with ojukwu backing and stuff like that

Did they control him? .. People need to ask why Anambra people changed his name from AdaObi to Okute

As far as Obi believe he is doing the right thing he is brutal ask around

Anambra had the worst cabal of God fathers till Obi humbled them.. I mean people the president at that point feared

Oga say the real reason u don't want Obi and stop being a coward

Upon that, Anambra still look like a glorified village...

Tell us obi failed woefully as a governor of Anamibra state ?

Beremx:
After the long nonsense epistle, who is now his preferred candidate? Atiku Abubakar?

What's wrong with Atiku? He is a far better candidate than Obi and Kwakwanso

walefresh3:
Upon that, Anambra still look like a glorified village...

Tell us obi failed woefully as a governor of Anamibra state ?

Obviously u haven't left Nigeria

No region has built a city that can match Onitsha metropolitan area the most built up area in Nigeria

Don't call lagos because Nigerians built Lagos for 70 years

mrvitalis:

Obviously u haven't left Nigeria

No region has built a city that can match Onitsha metropolitan area the most built up area in Nigeria

Don't call lagos because Nigerians built Lagos for 70 years

Wait ooo.... same Onitsha or another one ?