₦airaland Forum

By Farooq Kperogi

As I pointed out in my Saturday Tribune column, a common refrain among online devotees of Nigerian opposition figures is that they would rather endure Tinubu until 2031 than support any opposition politician other than their preferred candidate, even as they denounce Tinubu’s policies day and night.


That is both mystifying and clarifying. It suggests that, for many of them, the quarrel is not really with Tinubu’s governance, ideology or policies. It is with the fact that their favorite politician is not the one presiding over them.

They would tolerate, rationalize, perhaps even loudly defend the very policies they now condemn if those policies came wrapped in the colors of their own candidate.

They would tolerate, rationalize, perhaps even loudly defend the very policies they now condemn if those policies came wrapped in the colors of their own candidate.

If you are prepared to live through four more years of what you claim to find intolerable simply because you cannot bear the thought of another opposition figure succeeding Tinubu, then Tinubu’s policies are not your problem. Tinubu himself is.

More precisely, your problem is Tinubu's occupancy of a seat you believe belongs to someone you admire, worship or share the same identity with.

And that is fine. I only appreciate the clarity. Opposition infighting has stripped many people’s politics of its costume and shown that what often disguises as principle is merely identitarian investment.

Since many, perhaps most, people don't really have a problem with Tinubu's policies and can tolerate them for four more years as a price to deny the ascendancy of people they don't like, I think it's more psychically liberating to make peace with his second term.

https://www.farooqkperogi.com/2026/05/now-i-know-tinubus-policies-arent.html

Farouq has always been an Atiku Pen for hire.

Dear Farouq We respect your writing prowess but Alh. Atiku is not the one we clamour for, you can't seek equity and still be pushing for an Atiku from the Northern region to succeed Tinubu after just 4yrs of Southern Rule

What is the incentive for the North, that's currently VP, to support Obi to remove another Southerner from power that has already done four years? If Tinubu is doing a fantastic job as a Southerner, then he deserves a second term. Let him continue. The Southeast should actually be more desperate to get Tinubu out of power. In 2015, Tinubu had to travel from Lagos to Daura to convince Buhari out of retirement to come get his fellow Southerner out of power. Even then, he didn't ask for the ticket. He was willing to deputise Buhari. That's how he moved from opposition to incumbent. Clinical, strategic, long-term vision. When he said "Emi Lokan" in 2023, the North understood and returned the favour. Northerners always pay their debts, but nothing goes for nothing. Any region playing politics with emotions is already set to lose. Nigeria was a nation of diverse regions amalgamated into one. The only question that matters when you play national politics is "What's in it for my region?" And leverage is the only currency that players transact in. Not pity, not emotions, not insults and certainly not threats. Only leverage.

Kperogi just came out and confirmed what most of us have basically known. He is a shill for the APC.

Both the opposition leaders and their supporters, just ask them for solutions for any of what they have been condemning and see them speaking in tongues.

Why did they think Buhari win his reelection, was it by performance or because there was no alternative.

The current crops of opposition showing interest in the position of president of Nigeria are not close to better alternative to president Tinubu

SadiqBabaSani:
Farouq has always been an Atiku Pen for hire.

Dear Farouq We respect your writing prowess but Alh. Atiku is not the one we clamour for, you can't seek equity and still be pushing for an Atiku from the Northern region to succeed Tinubu after just 4yrs of Southern Rule

Make una dey read and comprehend before emotionally dropping your epistle. Atiku was lumped together with the opposition in Farooq's epistle

You deliberately chose to pick out Atiku while ignoring other opposition leaders affected with this

Oga you cannot seek a return to Northern rule after just 4yrs, let Tinubu continue instead of return of power to the north in 2027. Power must stay in South till 2031 then North can present a solid CANDIDATE

AMINDA:
What is the incentive for the North, that's currently VP, to support Obi to remove another Southerner from power that has already done four years? If Tinubu is doing a fantastic job as a Southerner, then he deserves a second term. Let him continue. The Southeast should actually be more desperate to get Tinubu out of power. In 2015, Tinubu had to travel from Lagos to Daura to convince Buhari out of retirement to come get his fellow Southerner out of power. Even then, he didn't ask for the ticket. He was willing to deputise Buhari. That's how he moved from opposition to incumbent. Clinical, strategic, long-term vision. When he said "Emi Lokan" in 2023, the North understood and returned the favour. Northerners always pay their debts, but nothing goes for nothing. Any region playing politics with emotions is already set to lose. Nigeria was a nation of diverse regions amalgamated into one. The only question that matters when you play national politics is "What's in it for my region?" And leverage is the only currency that players transact in. Not pity, not emotions, not insults and certainly not threats. Only leverage.

When did Tinubu supporter suddenly love Atiku, since Obi starting famzin Kwankwaso? Seems the Atiku on the ballot is not what you fear most, you are Banking on RMK refusing to support deputize Obi, because once that happens it will be a massive problem for you APC Bandits of poverty and pain

helinues:
Make una dey read and comprehend before emotionally dropping your epistle. Atiku was lumped together with the opposition in Farooq's epistle

You deliberately chose to pick out Atiku while ignoring other opposition leaders affected with this

SadiqBabaSani:
When did Tinubu supporter suddenly love Atiku, since Obi starting famzin Kwankwaso? Seems the Atiku on the ballot is not what you fear most, you are Banking on RMK refusing to support deputize Obi, because once that happens it will be a massive problem for you APC Bandits of poverty and pain

I don't need to love them at the same time hate them. I don't play bitter politics.

On this same ADC crisis, I know how many suggestions I have made on how the opposition should get their act right.

You people in the Obidients camp decided to be adding to the flame by attacking Atiku for no meaningful reason. Did anyone force Peter Obi to join ADC? Did Atiku sign any agreement with Obi which assured him to be the flagbearer of ADC after joining?

Atiku as a serious presidential candidate left Pdp and negotiate with those in ADC as the new party, why can't Obi do same and negotiate with other party to retry his luck?

You can see from the thread below which I advised the opposition to put their house in order. Show me one single thread you have created on how the people in ADC can solve their party issue as one of their direct or indirect supporter

https://www.nairaland.com/8663528/why-cant-adc-people-settle

SadiqBabaSani:
Oga you cannot seek a return to Northern rule after just 4yrs, let Tinubu continue instead of return of power to the north in 2027. Power must stay in South till 2031 then North can present a solid CANDIDATE

All Northern governors are in APC with the exception of Bala Mohammed. A Northerner is currently VP, Deputy Senate President and Speaker. Power is set to head back to the North worse case scenario in 2031. Do you think there aren't Northern politicians interested in waiting it out? I know you're a Tinubu supporter disguising but assuming you are not, why should the North support another Southerner other than Tinubu to power in 2027? What is the incentive to do so? It's a simple question. "Let Tinubu continue" is not a threat to the North that you lot think it is. The North made him President with 5.6m votes. Northerners are the biggest stakeholders in his government. It was the South that didn't vote for him. Like I said, in national politics, the only question that matters is "what's in it for my region?". It's not an emotional affair.

Borrowing isn't a leprosy...isn't that one of his policies

AMINDA:
What is the incentive for the North, that's currently VP, to support Obi to remove another Southerner from power that has already done four years? If Tinubu is doing a fantastic job as a Southerner, then he deserves a second term. Let him continue. The Southeast should actually be more desperate to get Tinubu out of power. In 2015, Tinubu had to travel from Lagos to Daura to convince Buhari out of retirement to come get his fellow Southerner out of power. Even then, he didn't ask for the ticket. He was willing to deputise Buhari. That's how he moved from opposition to incumbent. Clinical, strategic, long-term vision. When he said "Emi Lokan" in 2023, the North understood and returned the favour. Northerners always pay their debts, but nothing goes for nothing. Any region playing politics with emotions is already set to lose. Nigeria was a nation of diverse regions amalgamated into one. The only question that matters when you play national politics is "What's in it for my region?" And leverage is the only currency that players transact in. Not pity, not emotions, not insults and certainly not threats. Only leverage.

If the present economic reality is not enough then let Tinubu continue

What was the incentive for South when we voted Atiku to remove a failed Buhari?

If North can't replace Tinubu with southern alternative they should endure the 4 years

SadiqBabaSani:
Farouq has always been an Atiku Pen for hire.

Dear Farouq We respect your writing prowess but Alh. Atiku is not the one we clamour for, you can't seek equity and still be pushing for an Atiku from the Northern region to succeed Tinubu after just 4yrs of Southern Rule

Same Farooq that openly supported peter obi presidency in 2023?!

abc115:
As I pointed out in my Saturday Tribune column, a common refrain among online devotees of Nigerian opposition figures is that they would rather endure Tinubu until 2031 than support any opposition politician other than their preferred candidate, even as they denounce Tinubu’s policies day and night.


That is both mystifying and clarifying. It suggests that, for many of them, the quarrel is not really with Tinubu’s governance, ideology or policies. It is with the fact that their favorite politician is not the one presiding over them.

Mr Kperogi is correct in this assessment.

SadiqBabaSani:
Farouq has always been an Atiku Pen for hire.

Dear Farouq We respect your writing prowess but Alh. Atiku is not the one we clamour for, you can't seek equity and still be pushing for an Atiku from the Northern region to succeed Tinubu after just 4yrs of Southern Rule

AMINDA, they are calling you.

I have been telling you that Obidients will not support your Atiku.
Your Northern political leaders hoping on 2031 will not support Atiku.
The South won't support Atiku.
Even Adamawa ADC won't support Atiku.

Well, Atiku is from Jada in Cameroon. Maybe those ones will support him.

mrvitalis:
If the present economic reality is not enough then let Tinubu continue

What was the incentive for South when we voted Atiku to remove a failed Buhari?

If North can't replace Tinubu with southern alternative they should endure the 4 years

Tinubu also supported Ribadu and Atiku but he didn't say Emi Lokan until he supported Buhari and won. This level of politics is not taught in class. Go figure.

This clown is now waking up from his slumber. Something that I have been saying since
Their biggest problem is that Tinubu is Yoruba and also a Muslim.
I can guarantee you that if Obi jad been president and enacting these same policies, they eill be telling us by now that he is the greatest president that Nigeria has ever seen.
This clueless professor is just now seeing what I have been saying all along.
I have always said that being a professor or having a PhD doesn't really mean that you are smart and intelligent, in most cases, it means that the holder is of at least average intelligence with determination to become a prof or aquire the degree.
I know people with PhD and I don't really see them as been really smart or super intelligent.
This guy is definitely one of the not too smart ones.

SadiqBabaSani:
Farouq has always been an Atiku Pen for hire.

Dear Farouq We respect your writing prowess but Alh. Atiku is not the one we clamour for, you can't seek equity and still be pushing for an Atiku from the Northern region to succeed Tinubu after just 4yrs of Southern Rule

This is not correct. How do some of you read?

AMINDA:
What is the incentive for the North, that's currently VP, to support Obi to remove another Southerner from power that has already done four years? If Tinubu is doing a fantastic job as a Southerner, then he deserves a second term. Let him continue. The Southeast should actually be more desperate to get Tinubu out of power. In 2015, Tinubu had to travel from Lagos to Daura to convince Buhari out of retirement to come get his fellow Southerner out of power. Even then, he didn't ask for the ticket. He was willing to deputise Buhari. That's how he moved from opposition to incumbent. Clinical, strategic, long-term vision. When he said "Emi Lokan" in 2023, the North understood and returned the favour. Northerners always pay their debts, but nothing goes for nothing. Any region playing politics with emotions is already set to lose. Nigeria was a nation of diverse regions amalgamated into one. The only question that matters when you play national politics is "What's in it for my region?" And leverage is the only currency that players transact in. Not pity, not emotions, not insults and certainly not threats. Only leverage.

Oga stop threatening the south east ,you Northerners have held power longest in this federation yet your region is the most backward in all data and stats.

Every 4 years s northerner must rise up to contest ticket ,no respect for other regions .
The pdp had a gentleman agreement of zoning as its policy , atiku came and scattered it.

You guys will not taste power till 2031 and if you vex us even more in the south we will elongate southern rule beyond 2031.

SadiqBabaSani:
Oga you cannot seek a return to Northern rule after just 4yrs, let Tinubu continue instead of return of power to the north in 2027. Power must stay in South till 2031 then North can present a solid CANDIDATE

Who is the South??

What do you gain from the so-called South?

Instead of thinking of how to take power from the APC, you are talking about the South?

I think that's a childish talk

Very Apt and correct.

I have often said this.... confirmation bias has always been our problem in political discuss.

benardtotti:
Oga stop threatening the south east ,you Northerners have held power longest in this federation yet your region is the most backward in all data and stats.

Every 4 years s northerner must rise up to contest ticket ,no respect for other regions .
The pdp had a gentleman agreement of zoning as its policy , atiku came and scattered it.


You guys will not taste power till 2031 and if you vex us even more in the south we will elongate southern rule beyond 2031.

Defenders of the South! People just be writing childish stuff

Very flawed reasoning from Farouk. Maybe just maybe, they are being cautious about throwing four crucial years away to someone who privatised rubbish in the past and whose main manifesto is more privatisation. Atiku cannot and will never be popular in the south and Tinubu will always split his northern votes using mu-mu ticket as an excuse even though we know better. Obi owes atiku nothing. People interpreting his Vice ticket to Obi as exposure are being clever by half. If anything, he hijacked primaries via dollar politics, something a prudent Obi will never attempt.
Atiku may have succeded in putting himself into the heads of some voters as a viable candidate, he hasnt confused people who score high in waec n jamb.

Quite Unfortunate that Making Mandatory 8 years Rule is more Important than Delivery of the Dividends of Democracy.

They Promised Security,Good Economy...They Have Failed After 11 Years of Rule .

Yet they Are Bent to Continue...On What Basis ?

The Reason a Party ,Leader Must Be Voted to Continue Leading is that People are Being Secured and Not Let to Die like Chickens.

A Government that Does not care about The Citizens Welfare .( Food ,Light and Agriculture)

Should be asked to Leave .

See coalition members tearing themselves to shreds on the thread.

I’ve also found out that this statement is made mostly by Southerners and derided by Northerners like Faroook Kperogi.

I don’t blame the Southerners who hold such position. They’ve now seen beyond government policies and incompetence all thanks to Buhari and his Buharideens. Such positions has also been reinforced by how Northerners vote every election circle. They’ve vote solely on Tribal and religious sentiments. If they’re complaining about the government their own vote almost solely put on the seat on religious sentiments, they might as well consider other important factors outside tribal sentiments. If they’re basing their votes solely on religious and tribal sentiments they might as well enjoy Tinubu till 2031.

ATIKU MICROPHONE don speak in DOLLARS

AMINDA:
Tinubu also supported Ribadu and Atiku but he didn't say Emi Lokan until he supported Buhari and won. This level of politics is not taught in class. Go figure.

Because it was the turn of the North

How would you feel if Wike is running and demanding ticket in 2031 ?

Or Obi telling Opposition he must run in 2031 when it's clearly turn of the North?

benardtotti:
Oga stop threatening the south east ,you Northerners have held power longest in this federation yet your region is the most backward in all data and stats.

Every 4 years s northerner must rise up to contest ticket ,no respect for other regions .
The pdp had a gentleman agreement of zoning as its policy , atiku came and scattered it.

You guys will not taste power till 2031 and if you vex us even more in the south we will elongate southern rule beyond 2031.

When did Yorubas become unity beggars? If you want to beg the Southeast for support, do so properly and tell Tinubu to make his government inclusive.

SadiqBabaSani:
Farouq has always been an Atiku Pen for hire.

Dear Farouq We respect your writing prowess but Alh. Atiku is not the one we clamour for, you can't seek equity and still be pushing for an Atiku from the Northern region to succeed Tinubu after just 4yrs of Southern Rule

If you soji
He just painted the obvious psychological leaning that comes with the work of the president and the individual.
We would not have cared if his policies put us in mire debt but in turn displayed a charisma and so called doting leader ...like Bubu
We must, as the electorate wake up to this challenge.
Eg...who from the North looks good for that seat.....Really ?

mrvitalis:
Because it was the turn of the North

How would you feel if Wike is running and demanding ticket in 2031 ?

Or Obi telling Opposition he must run in 2031 when it's clearly turn of the North?

I would feel nothing. Wike has no pact with the North, except perhaps in his party. When Elrufai advocated for support for Tinubu in the North, he rallied his fellow Northern APC governors for power to rotate to the South after 8 years of Buhari in the APC. Did you see Elrufai rallying PDP governors like Bala Mohammed to support Tinubu? Zoning is a party affair. That is exactly why Atiku won your state Akwa Ibom, won Bayelsa and won Osun after 8 years of Buhari. I do not expect this to be hard for you to comprehend. Despite the North giving Tinubu 5.6m votes, Atiku also had 6.9m votes mostly from the North. Not even Tinubu was expecting ALL Northerners to vote for him in 2023. He can't be that naïve.

MAJOR THROWBACK!

Yet some ingrates say…………… 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Y2KrfifaUp

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