Africa
PBAT Adventure In Bellicosity, by Richard Odusanya
Let’s begin with Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until he died in 1953. In 1932 and 1933, millions of Ukrainians were killed in the Holodomor, a man-made famine engineered by the Soviet government of Joseph Stalin. It was called Holodomor, which, when translated from Ukrainian, means ‘death by hunger’, ‘killing by hunger’, ‘killing by starvation’, or ‘murder by starvation’.
The question to ask is: What was the crime of the Ukrainians? Well, they dared to aspire for independence and nationhood. In 2004, Holodomor became an entry in the modern two-volume dictionary of the Ukrainian language described as ‘artificial hunger, organized on a vast scale by a criminal regime against a country’s population.’
Sadly, this more recent definition of ‘Holodomor’ best captures what is happening in Nigeria. Fifteen months into the administration of Bola Tinubu, it is increasingly becoming clear that the government (whether they admit it or not) is on a quest to reduce the population of Nigeria. The nation is beset by ill-conceived policies that have unleashed hunger and hardship on a scale that has never been seen before.
Furthermore, the horrifying part of it all is that we are only 15 or 16 months deep into a four-year tenure that could easily become eight years if one were to consider the lack of transparency and credibility of the electoral umpire and the new practice of winning elections via court judgments and not the ballot. The renewed hope that Nigerians were promised has been replaced with renewed hunger, despair, and severe hardship.
Additionally, today, in Nigeria, we witness a total disregard for the rule of law, even on a scale that was not seen during the military era. The Tinubu-led government is slowly but surely turning into a full-blown dictatorship. The president, who deceptively positions himself as a champion of democracy, today leads a fascist regime that is gradually reducing our beloved country into a police state. Any meaningful attempt to challenge or criticize the government and its anti-people policies is tagged treason. Journalists, activists, protesters, labor leaders, and even members of civil society organizations have been targeted and threatened with charges of treason.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of Nigerians, are currently behind bars just because they took to the streets to protest against the hunger and severe hardship that the absurd economic policies of the Tinubu-led government plunged the country into. Under this administration, the Gestapo-esque mode of operation of security agents has become a threat to both freedom of speech and freedom of association. Sadly, when Nigerians raise the alarm that we are headed for a full-blown dictatorship, the Tinubu-led government, via its spokespersons, dismisses such calls as the activities of the members of the opposition aimed at toppling the government. If one is not an acolyte of this administration, they are either a member of the opposition, a traitor, or both.
Following the continued harassment of Joe Ajaero and civil society movements, former Nigerian Vice President, H.E. Atiku Abubakar, has stated via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle that the level of oppressive control imposed by the current regime surpasses even the harshest days of military dictatorship. As expected, in the next 48 hours, the media team will release a statement to rubbish the position of Atiku Abubakar, calling him a sore loser and other invectives this administration has come to be known to dispense on its critics.
From my personal experience and observation, intelligent people are more inclined to change their views and opinions as new facts and information are presented, while less intelligent people will always take offense to anything that contradicts what they believe. It is against this backdrop that I must submit myself for appraisal considering my contribution towards the victory of Bola Tinubu in the presidential election of 2023. The eight-point renewed hope agenda sounded very convincing and ideal if properly implemented coupled with the MKO’s sentiment. But as we have seen, the Tinubu-led administration is grossly inept and has reneged on its promises.
I’ve been following the trajectory of Bola Tinubu beginning from the early nineties when he won his senatorial seat with the highest votes. The Senate election was held on July 4, 1992. Bola Tinubu representing Lagos West won on the platform of the Social Democratic Party. He subsequently played a very important role in the making of the leadership of the Third Republic National Assembly of Nigeria (NASS). Thereafter, it was around 2022 at the instance of our mutual friend Dr. Olusegun Agagu of blessed memory that I first met him at the Minister’s quarters and a couple of times in the company of some gladiators including H.E. Atiku Abubakar at the Lagos House Asokoro when he was the governor.
During the buildup to the 2023 general elections; as a political operative, analyst, and activist, I played very important and educative roles in pushing for the candidacy and presidency of Bola Tinubu to the extent that I became the biggest threat to the opposition candidates particularly the person of H.E. Peter Obi. In retrospect, I recall an encounter with our mutual friend Nkemdili Austin Nnonyelu, a professor in the Sociology and Anthropology Department, Faculty of Social Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University. He confronted me many times, albeit in a friendly manner, and asked if I was the one contesting the election against PO. Such was my confidence in the candidacy of Bola Tinubu and his renewed hope agenda. Sadly, our northern brothers rechristened it “Renewed Shegee” so unfortunate.
Today, our beloved citizens (Nigerians) struggle to eat even once daily. The cost of basic commodities has become so steep that only a fraction of the population can afford them. Local and foreign businesses are shutting down, beset by economic policies stifling growth and development. And when Nigerians take to the streets to protest, they are arrested and threatened with charges of treason.
In retrospect, Nigeria has established a political structure that guarantees that, notwithstanding the current leader’s ineptitude and failure, the next leader is often worse. Bola Tinubu’s succession of Muhammadu Buhari is a prime example of this phenomenon. We are plagued by greedy leaders who seek only to enrich themselves even as the nation descends into chaos.
Finally, I like to conclude this contribution’s attempt to evaluate our situation as a nation by identifying with millions of our compatriots particularly the vulnerable among us currently experiencing excruciating pains. Let my compatriots pardon me for sounding like a perpetual optimist even in our uneventful circumstances. I’m an incurable optimist in the ‘NIGERIAN’ project and the promise my beloved country holds for us. I still love and cherish Nigeria even though it has consistently failed to impress me.
Richard Odusanya
