Light my candle if you can!

Every day, there seems to be a lot that goes on in Nigeria that one no longer sees it worthwhile trying to understand what is in fact a symptom of the vacuous leadership we find ourselves in. Thankfully in the midst of these distasteful state of affairs, Sports and Football remain the unifying force disproving all the divisive government seem to be bent on foistering on its citizens. The Super Falcons have just made a statement that Nigeria remains a force to be reckoned with in African football. They successfully completed Mission X, winning the WAFCON 2024 and establishing they are the de facto Champions of Africa Women's football the 10th time.

Unlike the Team Nigeria spirit seen among sports men and women in Nigerian Sports, from athletics to basketball and through football, we have continued to experience what in all honesty is best described as witchcraft in the entire polity where some in authority rather than unite and build, have been masterminding descensions and promoting ethno-religious divisions inimical to progress and development. As I write, the response of certain so-called citizens on social media space regarding other fellow Nigerians to say the least diffuses toxicity. It probably should not come as a surprise when sadly the leadership in Nigeria has been hijacked by the least qualified, using the machinery of state to appoint themselves as it was Their Turn! However having achieved their life's ambition, one hoped that they would indeed show true leadership and unite but two-years on since 2023 elections, Nigeria remains divided and bedraggled by hunger, unemployment and insecurity. The Diaspora has continued to provide solace for many who had the option and Jappa'd.  But over two hundred million Nigerians would not be going anywhere as they have no alternative. And of the millions who left the shores of their homeland many often dream of returning, but only if sanity returns.

Writing this piece has been prompted by a recurrent realisation that the present APC leadership indeed shows no intent to truly lead and bring all Nigerians to a place of healing and resolution from years of strategic marginalisation, exclusion and in recent decades, annihilation of thousands. The APC in all its wisdom decided to foister a Muslim-Muslim leadership ticket without due regard to the secularity of the state. If they were indeed sensitive to that fact, they would probably have been wise enough to not even broadcast that reality, but sadly they went out boldly to assert that position, with an ex-governor, now seeking political haven elsewhere, asserting their intention with no apology. It has been no hidden fact that since the 2015 elections that brought the APC government to power, Nigeria and its citizens witnessed escalation of insecurity with banditory, terrorism and acts reaching genocidal proportions becoming the order of the day. Communities and indigenous groups from various parts of the north and middle-belt regions fled their homelands with several losing their lives in the course of attacks by Boko-Haram terrorists. These terrorists have become so brazen that they have embedded themselves as non-state actors, taxing villagers who for the fear of their lives are forced to comply or leave their ancestral land. The death toll from these activities in 2025 alone is estimated not less than several thousands.

Peter Obi presents us the opportunity to be truly Nigerian, putting others first because we can, and not feeling diminished by lighting each other's candles.

Leadership posturing

The hallmark of good leadership is an exemplary display of good will and sensitivity to the needs of the governed, with responsiveness towards meeting these needs. Where there is difficulty addressing such needs, the leader is not only heard, but also seen to have made tangible efforts towards resolving them.

Admittedly being in a position of leadership is never to be taken for granted. However it is apparent that the APC government past and present are incapable of providing true leadership that creates the right conditions for basic needs of food, shelter and security to be met, and then other needs such as education, healthcare and industry could thrive.

The immediate past APC leadership of the now late president, between 2015 and 2023, took Nigeria in a direction all thought was bad enough. The APC leadership from 2023, led by Emilokon promised Renewed Hope. Two years on, what has been witnessed is nothing short of a self-seeking leadership whose confused decisions from day one, plunged the country into inflation without preparing for the predictable consequences of oil subsidy removal. What residual intangible wealth Nigeria could have attracted, all disappeared by virtue of destruction of the credibility of the judiciary, who saw nothing wrong in an electioneering process that undermined its own credibility, moving the goal post to ignore the same electronic IREV voting system it had spent billions to establish.

In summary BAT has done more for himself and his party goons to fulfill his Renew Hope Agenda. Whilst the naira crashed and businesses were thrown into disarray by dearth of forex, his first few objectives was to send so-called savings from the oil subsidy removal to bolster the two houses of NASS, and the judiciary, buying SUVs worth millions of dollars to the legislators and similar sums to the judiciary. Looking back it made sense, because with such initiative he guaranteed any budget he sent to the legislature gets passed without scrutiny. He apparently needed upgrading of the Lagos presidential residence and I recall also procured vehicles for the so-called office of the First-Lady. His vice-president was not left out from the charity, as he needed $21 billion for a residence which needed completing. Not to be left out by his own largesse, he splashed out sums to procure a Presidential yacht and soon after needed to procure a new Presidential jet in addition to a new bullet proof Cadillac Escalade. The purported Lagos Calabar Highway project awarded to his choice business partners, and attracting borrowing to sums future generations are meant to repair for ages, is certainly another excuse to repeat his Lekki concession project which he as ex-governor of Lagos state milked until the cows came home. The posturing was getting clearer.

The insecurity in Nigeria continues unabated, and innocent Nigerians and soldiers have lost their lives from terrorist insurgency. The Nigerian military, with a history of embarking on successful peacekeeping missions to far-away countries such as the Congo or Liberia, has been unable to snuff out a bunch of terrorists in its own territories. There is evidence that implicates persons within government for aiding and abetting the insurgency. There have been reports from frontline soldiers asserting complicity of some senior officers who reportedly had been diverting resources to enemies or had given orders for soldiers to stand down and not intervene in situations when they could have overrun the insurgents.

One Nigeria will continue to elude us if the all nation groups indigenous to Nigeria be it East, South, North West, North Central or Middle-belt can not be at the table serving and partaking of that which Nigeria has.

Exclusion and marginalisation

In April 2025 news released from the presidency announced the APC leadership inaugurating an eight-man National Population and Housing Census committee tasked with ensuring the next Census is implemented efficiently and in a timely manner. The social media narrative was more about the selection of the members of the committee which contrary to expectation had membership not truly representing the totality of Nigerians. None of the eight-man committee were from the East or South East or South South regions of the country with majority being from the South West regions. Of course they may appoint sub-committee members from across all other regions, but the fact is that such junior members would not have the same voice as the primary committee members and would easily be overruled if these other members deemed it necessary to silence them. The importance of Census data with respect to planning and national development is certainly a concern to all Nigerians who ought to be so represented.

This further reiterates what we already know of the effects of the APC imposed Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023. It would appear BAT may have been compelled to accept such an arrangement as the only means to guarantee the presidency. Any Nigerian conversant with the currently quoted population distribution in Nigeria would know that the data bears no semblance with the realities. Students of human geography understand key factors maintaining population density in rural and urban areas. Pre-independence Nigeria was governed by an arrangement that allocated by fiat, more local authorities to the North than to the South where resources that sustained the entity largely derived from. Unfortunately later iterations of the Nigerian constitution have maintained this seemingly arbitrary delineation.

Now the North is crying. Hausa's have gone to the ICC to make a case about the genocide they are suffering. The Senate is now a tool to rubber stamp ignominious scripts by the M-M government. Strangely, some who thought BAT was the best thing for Nigeria are now seeing the Premium Shege he is dispensing to Nigerians who may not have any means.  Nigeria has been on a downward slide socio-politically giving rise to all the insecurity and restiveness because we fail to speak truth for all its worth and refuse to be silenced.

It's now evident to all that the BalaBlu we heard and saw, is in fact all BAT had in stock.

To THINK Nigerian is not to diminish any people group but to celebrate the other whilst embracing your own uniqueness.

Conclusion

One Nigeria will continue to elude us if all nation groups indigenous to Nigeria be it East, South, North West, North Central or Middle-belt can not be at the table serving and partaking of that which Nigeria has to offer.

Regarding the aforementioned eight-man National Population and Housing Census committee with no representatives from the South East, East, or South South, it remains to be seen what this means, as clearly, it has not demonstrated the constitutional requirement of attention being given to keeping to federal character. In contrast, the Super Falcons have just won the WAFCON, and guess what? The top performers are Nigerians from the East/South East alongside others from the rest of Nigeria. This remains the thread in most areas of human endeavour be it academics, entertainment or business. The pride of Nigeria is in its diversity and the breadth and depth of its equivalence among the committee of nations.

Nigeria has been held captive and being slowly destroyed by self-centred criminal-politicians (most of them have been charged and sentenced or evaded such; with offences at home or abroad), who exploit the ignorance of many using ethno-religious divides so they secretly embark on their nefarious intents.

It's taking its toll on many already. The sense of urgency is painfully lacking. Unless there is change, one should worry those who profit from this whole charade are invested in wasting the lives of the vulnerable and poor.

To our chagrin, most committed citizens keep pressing on, hoping that situation might change in our lifetime, for persons who were born before or during the Civil war. With such deliberate manipulations, it is looking pitiably impossible to remain hopeful, but for PO.

To THINK Nigerian is not to diminish any people group but to celebrate the other whilst embracing one's own uniqueness.

If we all celebrate the other, our pride of place as a people will flourish. Unfortunately, there was, and indeed, there are ongoing attempts by some to subjugate or erase some of our people groups. This makes some feel the need to ensure they are heard, and it becomes a battle for survival.

This is not the spirit that builds a country talkless, a nation.

Peter Obi presents us the opportunity to be truly Nigerian, putting others first because we can, and not feeling diminished by lighting each other's candles. So please light my candle if you can, but don't stop me finding my own means to illuminate my darkness.