*2026: Nigeria at a critical junction in its journey
Fellow citizens,
We stand at a critical junction in our nation’s journey. The air is thick with apprehension, not because of a lack of potential, but because of a systematic erosion of the democratic values that bind us together.
First, we must address the alarming pattern of hostility directed toward dissenting voices.
The harassment of Governors Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde of Bauchi and Oyo states is not merely a political skirmish; it is a calculated assault on the federalist structure of our nation. When state executives are intimidated for holding different views, it signals a dangerous slide toward a one-party state.
Democracy thrives on a plurality of ideas, not the silence of the graveyard.
While our people grapple with unprecedented hardship, we see a jarring disconnect in the corridors of power. The massive contributions toward a private library for the First Lady, Remi Tinubu, represent a profound insensitivity to the current economic climate. In a land where millions go to bed hungry, such funds would have been better utilized in ameliorating the biting poverty that has become the daily companion of the average Nigerian.
Leadership must be about service and sacrifice, not the curation of legacies while the people suffer.
Furthermore, we call upon the Chairman of INEC.
The credibility of our democracy rests squarely on your shoulders. You must be just; you must be fair. The era of “miracle results” and technical glitches must end. Nigeria deserves transparent, free, and fair elections where the ballot—not the “arrangement”—determines the victor.
TAX LAWS
To the government of President Bola Tinubu, we urge a rethink of current trajectories. The prevailing taxation policies are suffocating the very businesses and individuals they should be empowering.
While revenue is necessary, it must not come at the cost of the people’s survival. More distressing is the apparent effort to create an environment that infringes on the right to existence of opposition parties.
A democracy without a viable opposition is a dictatorship in disguise.
LESSONS FROM VENEZUELA
We live in a global village, and we must learn from the shadows of history. We need only look at the Venezuela experience to see the consequences of hyper-taxation, the suppression of opposition, and the erosion of democratic institutions. Venezuela serves as a stark reminder that even the most resource-rich nations can crumble when leadership prioritizes power over the people.
Let us choose a different path. Let us protect our governors, respect our citizens’ pockets, and ensure our electoral process is beyond reproach. The soul of our nation depends on it.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Chief Olabode Ibiyinka George,
Former Deputy National Chairman of PDP,
Atona Ooduaof Yorubaland
