27/06/2025
LEGACY OVER ELECTIONS: TINUBUâS UNCHARTED PATH
The easiest job for any President - truth be told - is to do absolutely nothing. Yes, to fold hands, maintain status quo, and coast through the corridors of power on autopilot. In fact, if you're desperate for a second term, thatâs the golden ticket: change nothing, rock no boat, ruffle no feathers.
Now, what does âstatus quoâ mean in the Nigerian context?
1. Keep borrowing to fund fuel subsidy, and when the creditors start giving you side-eyes, activate the infamous âWays and Meansâ - just print more money. And if that still doesnât cut it, sell off national assets like family heirlooms at a distress sale. As long as the people can say âfuel was cheap during your time,â who cares about the fiscal recklessness? Whatever the cost, give the illusion of comfort.
2. Prop up the naira with subsidies till it's a house of cards. Let foreign investors gnash their teeth trying to repatriate profits. Let the reserves bleed dry. As long as the street can shout ââŠ400 to a dollar!â in your name - even if itâs just on paper - youâll be hailed as an economic magician. Whatever the cost, give the illusion of strength.
3. Donât touch the tax regime. Thatâs sacred ground - lest you offend governors who think fiscal reforms are a personal insult. You need them singing your praises come election season. So, smile, nod, and keep the deadwood tax system alive, whatever the cost.
4. Forget any audacious infrastructure dreams. Lagos-Calabar Highway? Too bold. Too dusty. Too disruptive. People will ask why it's not their region first. Or scream, âWhat has that got to do with the price of rice?â Stick to the old playbook: ground-breaking ceremonies with Fuji stars, golden shovels, and the famous 2-coach foundation block. Smile for the cameras, do nothing afterward, and resurrect it as campaign promise when the next election comes knocking. Whatever the cost, protect the optics.
5. Student loans? For heavenâs sake, no! Why stir the hornetâs nest? Innovation breeds misunderstanding. Keep tuition fees low, even if it means unpaid lecturers, poorly funded schools, and indefinite ASUU strikes. Let students spend 7 years on a 4-year course - as long as the fees are cheap, theyâll adjust. Itâs the Nigerian way, after all.
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BUT WHAT DID BAT DO?
The exact opposite.
Being a seasoned politician, we thought heâd toe the line - secure the throne first, govern later. But lo and behold, the man flipped the script. He placed vision over ambition, governance over politics, legacy over elections.
He dared to do what many only discussed behind closed doors. Where others danced around tough decisions, he dived headfirst. And for the first time in a long time, we saw political will in action - not just campaign grammar.
Nigeria's problem has never been about the absence of ideas. We have ideas in excess - our real deficit is courage. The guts to act. The will to lead. And in Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we have a man who not only knows how to win elections but also the rare courage to govern in spite of them.
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*Legendary Joe*