Politics
2019: The Prospects, Expectations
Just as everything with a beginning also has an end, 2018 faded away last Monday. Amongst numerous feelings attached to the outgone year, many a Nigerian would describe it as a year of tension and ambiguous direction with virtually no clues as to how better 2019 would turn out.
Expectedly, however, and depending on the divide, Nigerians, cut across such lines as party, religion, ethnicity, etc. would disagree and agree over how successful and developed or otherwise Nigeria had been, not only in 2018, but in the last three years plus.
While this is normal of political inclinations, it is also normal for politicians to also not accept clear failures in governance. Whether such failure is deliberately instituted out of selfish actions and or inactions, or out of ignorance in what constitutes governance, is usually not important.
In the same vein, it is normal for politicians to always claim to be doing what is right for the polity, even when their actions glaringly state otherwise. But, of course, there can hardly be anything normal in a people failing to truly assess how governance affects them and seek to make deliberate adjustments for the better.
This is what 2019, which crept into life on Tuesday, means for Nigeria as the citizenry seek to enthrone new leadership in all segments of governance, with particular focus on the Presidency in February 2019.
Former Lagos State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) national stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, no doubt toed this line in his New Year message to Nigerians when he said “The nation is on the verge of an election to determine our collective fate. We can either choose to continue forward or return to the old ways that held us back for so long. Just as 2018 must turn into 2019, we must also continue to move forward.
“We must enter the New Year and see it as a new day for Nigeria. Thus, I ask you to perform your civic duty to vote with utmost faith, responsibility and the best interest of the country at heart”.
The question is what constitutes “the best interest of the country?”
Knowing that politicians, particularly their Nigerian versions, can never accept their flaws and faults, it has become an intrinsic tradition to always weigh what amounts to the interests of a country from the perspectives of those affected by the actions and inactions of those in government, especially people or organisations respected by the standard of given societies.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who falls under this fold, in February 2018, served as a forerunner to what can unarguably be the heart beat of the Nigerian populace regarding how they had fared under the present administration, as well as what is required of Nigerians in 2019, regarding what is good for them.
According to him, “like all countries, Nigeria has many challenges. That, by itself, is not what we should worry about. What should matter is how, when and with what instruments we address or fail to address these challenges or create more problems”.
Obasanjo, who noted this while declaring his membership of the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) in his home in Abeokuta, stated that government under Buhari took nation-building for granted, because it had lost faith with giving continued attention to every citizen, and hence ceased to give a considerable segment of the citizenry a feeling of belonging and a stake in their country.
An example, the former President said, is that while the “Federal Character Principle”, as espoused in the Nigerian constitution, serves as guide to the leadership “to search for competent holders of major offices to be distributed within the entire nation”, in order to avoid concentration of power in a few ethnic hands or geographical places, government under President Muhammadu Buhari had reneged on this principle in appointing leadership of the security apparatus of Nigeria.”
The result of this, according to Obasanjo, was that the spate of violence, criminality, organised crime, insurgency and terrorism did not “receive sufficient proactive ameliorative responses through transformational leadership – a determined leadership that brings cohesion and wholesomeness to the polity”.
In the face of high-powered insecurity, there can hardly be development, no matter what reasons are given, or what level of evasiveness is instituted.
The implication of Obasanjo’s concerns were that a key cause of the failure of the present Buhari-led government is that there had not been an inclusive and popular participation in governance in pursuit of the country’s genuine political, economic, and overall social life.
On its part, the Coalition of United Political Parties described 2018 as a year when poverty, job loss and impunity were promoted by the present administration.
The coalition, through its first national spokesperson, Imo Ugochinyere, said the current report by The World Poverty Clock shows that Nigeria has overtaken India as the country with the most extreme poor people in the world. India has a population seven times larger than Nigeria’s.
In more practical terms, the implication of this is that about 86.9 million Nigerians now live in extreme poverty. This number represents nearly 50% of its estimated 180 million populations. The expectation is that as Nigeria faces a major population boom, it will become the world’s third largest country by 2050. What this portends for the country will better be imagined.
In the face of the fore-going, what may amount to succour came as President Buhari’s new year message on Monday, that elections in 2019 will not be a “do-or-die-affair”.
“Elections need not be do-or-die affair, and we should not approach that eventuality in a democracy with trepidation and mortal fear. Happily, a large number of presidential candidates have committed to peace and peace we shall have,” the President said.
The snag in Mr. President’s declaration can however be seen when placed side-by-side with the highly encumbered issue of his refusal to assent to the 2018 Electoral Act, which seeks to further institute free and fair elections in Nigeria, an improvement from 2015.
This makes more sense considering that ahead of the 2015 general elections, Nigeria’s democratic process got a notable boost following the introduction of electoral reform that saw, for the first time, the defeat of an incumbent President.
Why further improvement to the electoral process should not be encouraged at this stage of Nigeria’s hyped development can hardly be for the interest of the people, knowing that year in, year out, what Nigerians have wanted has not changed: provision of basic amenities by their elected officials, infrastructural development across board, ensuring a favourable business environment and adequate security, regular power supply, etc.
It has still not changed, and those who come into power have always known this. The problem has always been how they (the supposed people’s representatives) hope to give the people these basic needs.
Achieving these basic needs, among others, without making it look so unnecessarily herculean is what Nigerians want in 2019, however small such achievement may be. If a government therefore, does not show any commitment to this, the government has no business in governance.
Soibi Max-Alalibo
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has renamed The Polytechnic, Ibadan as Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan, in honour of a late former governor of the State, Dr Omololu Olunloyo.
Dr Olunloyo, who died on April 6, 2025, was the pioneer Principal of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, while he also served as Governor of Oyo State between October 1 and December 31, 1983.
Governor Makinde made the announcement at the state interdenominational funeral service held yesterday in honour of the late former governor at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Liberty Road, Ibadan.
Governor Makinde said Dr Olunloyo lived an eventful life, adding that his attainment and personality could not be summarised in one sentence.
“He was not a man we could summarise in one sentence. He was a scholar, a statesman, a technocrat, a lover of culture and, above all, a man of deep conviction.
“While giving the exhortation, I was listening to Baba Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu and he said in 1983, Baba became Governor of Oyo State. Though his time in office was brief, his election victory over a popular incumbent remains a powerful testament to the trust people gave him.
“I talked about preserving and digitising his library yesterday [Wednesday] as a mark of honour to Baba Olunloyo.
“Today, we will be giving Baba another honour to immortalise him. He was the first Principal of The Polytechnic, Ibadan; that institution will now be named Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan.”
Earlier in his sermon, a retired Methodist Archbishop of Ilesa and Ibadan, Ayo Ladigbolu, described the late Olunloyo as a role model with intellectual inspiration and unassailable integrity.
The cleric said the deceased also demonstrated leadership in most superior quality during his lifetime.
In attendance were the state Deputy Governor, Chief Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal; wife of a former Military Governor of the old Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Dupe Jemibewon; wife of a former Governor of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Mutiat Ladoja; former Deputy Governor and PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; and former Deputy Governor, Hazeem Gbolarumi.
Others were the member representing Ibadan North-East/South-East Federal Constituency, Hon Abass Adigun Agboworin; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Oyo State Exco members; Chairman of Oyo State Elders’ Council, Dr Saka Balogun; Chairman of All Local Government Chairmen in Oyo State, Hon Sikiru Sanda; President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Adeniyi Ajewole; religious leaders and family members, among other dignitaries.
Ten members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) have countered the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, on the reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary.
The dissenting members, led by the Deputy National Chairman ( South), Taofeek Arapaja, in a joint statement, said no organ of the opposition party could overturn the decision of the 99th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The dissenting NWC members include Arapaja; Setonji Koshoedo, Deputy National Secretary; Okechukwu Obiechina-Daniel, National Auditor; Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary; Ologunagba; Woyengikuro Daniel, National Financial Secretary and Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, National Treasurer.
Others are Chief Ali Odefa, National Vice Chairman (South East); Emmanuel Ogidi, Caretaker Committee Chairman (South South); Mrs. Amina Darasimi D. Bryhm, National Woman Leader and Ajisafe Kamoru Toyese, National Vice Chairman (South West).
The group also insisted that contrary to the position of the acting National Chairman, the 100th NEC meeting of the party would be held on June 30 as earlier scheduled.
The statement read: “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a press briefing by the acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, today Wednesday, June 25, wherein he attempted to overturn the resolution of the 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which scheduled the 100th NEC meeting for Monday, June 30.
“The acting National Chairman in the said press briefing also reportedly announced that Senator Samuel Anyanwu has been asked to resume as National Secretary of the party contrary to the resolution of the 99th NEC meeting, which referred all matters relating to the office of the National Secretary to the 100th NEC meeting.
“The pronouncements by the acting National Chairman have no foundation as no organ of the party (including the NWC), individual or group has the power to cancel, overrule, veto or vary the resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) under the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).
“For the avoidance of doubt, the NEC is the highest decision-making organ of the party, second only to the National Convention. By virtue of Section 31 (3) of the PDP Constitution, the resolution of the NEC to hold its 100th meeting on Monday June 30, is binding on all organs, officers, chapters and members of the party and no organ, group or individual can vary or veto this resolution of NEC.
“Furthermore, the claim by Damagum that Sen Anyanwu has been asked to resume office as the National Secretary of the party is, therefore, misleading being contrary to the resolution of NEC.
“In the light of the foregoing, the 100th NEC meeting as scheduled for Monday, June 30, has not been canceled or postponed.”
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has fired back at former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following the latter’s scathing criticism of President Tinubu’s administration and his 2027 re-election prospects.
In an interview on live television, Mallam El-Rufai said it would take a “miracle” for President Tinubu to be re-elected in 2027, citing an internal poll that purportedly shows a 91 percent disapproval rating for the president across key regions in the country, including the South-East and the North. He also claimed that President Tinubu’s disapproval rating in Lagos stood at 78 percent.
Reacting on Wednesday via a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Onanuga took a swipe at the ex-governor, quoting a harsh assessment of Mallam El-Rufai’s character from former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s memoir, My Watch.
“Nasir’s penchant for reputation savaging is almost pathological,” Mr Onanuga wrote, citing Chief Obasanjo’s words. “Why does he do it? Very early in my interaction with him, I appreciated his talent. At the same time, I recognised his weaknesses; the worst being his inability to be loyal to anybody or any issue consistently for long, but only to Nasir El-Rufai.”
The presidential adviser emphasised Chief Obasanjo’s remarks that Mallam El-Rufai often tries to elevate himself by diminishing others. “He lied brazenly, which he did to me, against his colleagues and so-called friends,” Mr Onanuga continued, quoting the former President. “I have heard of how he ruthlessly savaged the reputation of his uncle, a man who, in an African setting, was like a foster father to him.”
Chief Obasanjo, who appointed Mallam El-Rufai as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory between 2003 and 2007, did not mince words in the memoir, describing Mallam El-Rufai as suffering from “small man syndrome.”
Mr Onanuga’s post is seen as a direct rebuttal to Mallam El-Rufai’s recent criticism and growing opposition role. The former governor is reportedly playing a central role in forming a new coalition to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
In March 2025, El-Rufai officially dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), intensifying speculations about his 2027 political ambitions.
As the political rift deepens, Mallam El-Rufai remains one of the most vocal critics of the Tinubu administration, while Mr Onanuga and other presidential allies continue to push back against what they describe as “reckless” opposition rhetoric.