Close alliances with despots are never safe for free states - Demosthenes

If you think of yourselves as helpless and ineffectual, it is certain that you will create a despotic government to be your master. The wise despot, therefore, maintains among his subjects a popular sense that they are helpless and ineffectual. - Frank Herbert


2013-15 saw some of the nation's most bitter and ruthless campaigns since our nascent democracy. On the feet of the president was dumped everything plaguing us as a nation. I dare say even when someone died of malaria, The then president GEJ was called out for it.

He was the alpha and omega, Upon whom all the blames should be heaped. At some point it became an outright show of ridiculousness that even honorable moves such as proscribing Boko haram then were criticized by the then opposition, led by GMB. He had all the solutions. Their party knew the problems plaguing Nigeria and rolled out "solutions" on paper and fell over themselves to scream same into microphones at party rallies and media houses.

Their wish to lead Nigeria came to pass; carried on to victory by sheer dashing might of propaganda, lies and an efficient delivery of electoral malpractices, riding on the back of underaged voters (proven but not approved) and blindsided by the then INEC leadership (at this point, you may call be partisan ) They came in and Nigeria heaved a sigh of relief. Whoops we didn’t break up despite predictions from the US and other international bodies. I'll spare you the details.

But from 2015- 2019, we've seen the nation go into a massive decline. From doing the very things the previous administration did and for which they were rightly flayed, to certain irritating comments, actions and inactions in the face of insecurity. Benue a state in Nigeria was almost decimated and local indigenous tribes killed off in what could be described as a systematic tribal cleansing operation by fulanis; a cow breeding tribe in Nigeria who suddenly had more rights than other Nigerians.

Unconscionable bigotry, nepotism and clanishness has been enthroned over meritocracy and we hit recession a record two times as a result of policy roll outs and somersaults by the incompetents led by buhari in power. Massive, mind boggling corruption reports are reeled out weekly and no one takes the fall. We've had our constitution suspended at the behest of a cabal who seem to have the "president" by the balls as their every whim gets a nod from him despite good judgment and dissent from Nigerians. While these were happening, all blames were still being heaped on the outgone administration and their officials by members of the current ruling party and government.

Despite these fallings, the APC managed to wriggle themselves into power again in 2019. Talks for that one, could take days to explain. We assumed perhaps they were forgiven their misdemeanors and given a second chance. But have things gotten better? No! They've become worse! So bad that the hitherto quiet ancient state of Oyo and even Ogun state, prominent states in the South West, a region that mobilized for Buhari and the APC have become a new Benue; A killing field of indigenous tribes by the fulanis while they wreck havoc on farms and whole communities, in a bid to steal and allocate traditional lands of ancestry to themselves and by extension, turn same cattle grazing fields at the detriment of the local populace.

For the first time in Nigeria's history, terrorists have been christened "shy bandits". Authorities negotiate with them and fund their activities with huge ransom payments and the president has been num to their activities despite outcry of Nigerians. Makes it look like they have a tacit support from the powers that be in my opinion (I may be mistaken)

For the first time in Nigeria, we have a president who's hidden himself from the media and feels unaccountable to us. A president who has refused to face Nigerians to give us assurances of being on top of the problems plaguing us as a people even though lip service. We have a president so cut off from the realities of modern government that he doesn't even care to show leadership! He's failed to take responsibility for anything and does not even bother or try to impress even though he enjoys the perks of office for same.

For the first time in Nigeria's history, we have a first lady in-diaspora. Our first lady, the wife of the president has absconded for saner climes citing insecurity! Makes the ordinary citizen wonder: if the president's wife can run away from the country and has permanently relocated abroad for over 4 months now, what's still there to hope for in Nigeria? There are lots more I could mention but the sheer ridiculousness of those make me pause here for the sake of my mental health and sensibilities.

Judging by the calm deposition of Nigerians towards all these, it makes me wonder... If this is same Nigerians who bullied a sitting president out of power? Same Nigerians who never failed to protest against perceived over-reaches by the previous administration. Ohh, I forgot to mention protests are now outlawed and viewed as a coup d'etat!

Looking at these, I conclude that even Nigerians are tired! They have been so bruised and battered that they have developed a resistance to bottle it up. They no longer see the need to speak or criticize as You can only talk sense into a man who feels the need to listen. You can't wake up a man who's pretending to sleep. Makes me ask what the sins of the previous administration were as clearly this one has taken over in all spheres of foolishness, cluelessness and corruption. Then I see that the only sin president Jonathan committed was being a president who cared about Nigerians. A president who listened. But Nigerians, used to military juntas and presidents who appeared as "strong men" who viewed the constitution as a mere piece of paper, mistook it for weakness.

A daily count down has been released for when buhari would leave office on Twitter and you can only imagine the disconnect people feel to the office of the president. Just barely 2 years into a second term, 2023 is in the mouths of people!

While the ills of change and next level, keep us in our places of wishful thinkings and fights for survival against all the odds Nigeria throws at us daily, I ask myself a question. Have Nigerians learned Never to give power to a despot?

*** End of celestial observation***

Cc: mynd44, lalasticlala, ishilove, seun

Jonathan was a weakling.

Making him president was PDP's greatest undoing.

The PDP may never smell Also Rock again.

SmartPolician:
Jonathan was a weakling.

Making him president was PDP's greatest undoing.

The PDP may never smell Also Rock again.

Lol the one you "elected" who's not a "weakling" how's it going so far?