15/04/2026
WHY PRESIDENT TINUBU SHOULD NOT TELL
NIGERIANS TO RELAX, HE IS FIXING IT
The bustling motor park in Lagos was always loud, but today, the heat of the sun was matched only by the heat of the debate under the shade of a yellow "Danfo" bus.
Kunle, a mechanic with oil-stained hands, tossed a newspaper onto a wooden bench. "I saw it again today," he sighed. "President Tinubu is asking us to be patient. He says he is 'fixing' the foundation that was broken."
Musa, who was selling cold sachet water, wiped sweat from his forehead. "Well, fixing a house takes time, Chidi. You can’t build a skyscraper in a day."
Kunle shook his head vigorously. "That’s where you’re wrong, Musa. This isn't just about time; it’s about the architect. Tinubu didn’t just appear from nowhere. He was the one who sold Muhammadu Buhari to us in 2015. He told us Buhari was the 'messiah' who would save Nigeria."
A small crowd began to gather. They remembered the slogans and the promises of "Change."
"Think about it," kunle continued, his voice rising. "For eight years, we watched the economy slide and security disappear under Buhari. Tinubu wasn't just a bystander; he was the National Leader of the same party. He campaigned for the very policies that brought us to our knees. Now, he’s sitting in the same seat, telling the same people who are hungry to 'relax' while he fixes the mess he helped create."
"It’s like a mechanic who recommends a bad engine to you," an old man sitting nearby added, "and when the engine knocks, he asks you to pay him more money to fix it. Why should you trust his hands when his advice was what broke the car in the first place?"
Musa looked down at his tray of water. He thought about the price of fuel and how a bag of rice now cost more than a month's minimum wage.
"The problem," kunle finished, picking up his wrench, "is that you cannot ask a man to relax when the person who led him into the fire is the one now claiming to be the fireman. Trust isn't built on speeches; it’s built on results. And right now, Nigerians are too hungry to relax."
The park went quiet for a moment. There was no more arguing—only the sound of distant horns and the heavy weight of a shared reality.
