Opinion
Nigeria: Is Our Leadership Cursed?
We are a traditional people. We are not Oyinbo. We
understand the portents. We know of evil and spirits. We know of God and the devil; of angels and demons; good and bad Jinns (Genies). Forget all this democracy and politics jargon that we keep repeating to imbibe the curse (God forbid). Shall we use those words to ignore what stares us in the face as a clear curse? Abominations upon abominations in clear manifestation?
There is no democracy in the Bible or the Quran. There have been good leaders who were soldiers and bad leaders who were soldiers. There have been good civilian and bad civilian leaders. Our leaders are simply a manifestation of ourselves, the better of us, the poor of us and the evil of us, those of us who visit shrines and perform occult rituals.
You know it. I know it. This government is cursed. They have offended the Protector. They have done abominable things, things that cannot be spoken of; things that cannot be imagined. Their ascension to power is not ordinary. Precious blood was shed. Sacrifices made that cannot be imagined. It is not luck; it is the visiting of shrines in the dark of the night. It is the sacrifices made that we cannot mention, precious lives slaughtered, buried alive to pave an unusual ascension to power.
Study their families; you will see the abomination there. Incest in Aso rock. You will see bareness; you will see children from sisters, mistresses claimed as theirs. You will see the signs of abomination. We are a spiritual people and we know these things.
Nigeria is under siege. We are a nation under a curse. We can no longer deny this. The killings everywhere, the meaningless killings; these things indicate that God is not with us. The devil is manifesting in this nation.
A nation where dead, detested tyrant dictator killers and thieves are given awards! What can cause such a thing? Where murderers of our beloved are freed from jail? See they give terrorist killers life-sentences instead of death when clearly our Good Books, the Bible, the Quran tell us killers must be killed. A leadership like this that rejects the ordinances of the Holy Books and patronizes killers and protects sponsors of terror is certainly a leadership of non other than Lucifer, the cursed one.
What is the reward to us for accepting such abominable acts? How are we all being punished when we know the politicians that have killed thousands of us and we celebrate them, torn by tribalism, we support and cherish politicians we know killed our brothers, our sisters, our fathers and mothers. Politicians we know who sponsored terrorists to bomb our churches and mosques. Do you think the spirits of the dead, the souls of the departed, massacred by politicians and this government we know are pleased with us who laugh on their graves and do not revolt for justice to be done?
We are partaking in the curse of the leadership (God forbid). This is more than ordinary. They collect money from 6.5 million of our youth to gather 500,000 of them together like fowls and sacrifice some of them. We again will not avenge the dead right? We will rejoice and tolerate this government right? We are afraid to die fighting, but we are dying faster being afraid and not fighting, and inheriting the curse of this leadership; inheriting the anger of the Lord on this leadership. Will we again not avenge the deaths of the 23 youth sacrificed so our leadership can satisfy their insatiable greed? We will again defend the thieves who we say are ‘from our clan,’ right? Knowing full well that the stealing is why our people are dying.
Do you notice that this leadership cannot be satisfied? They steal 20, 30, 100 billion dollars; triple the nation’s budget, but it is not enough for them. They have run the nation dry, now they wish to remove fuel subsidy which gives us ease, but they will not remove kerosene subsidy which punishes us and from which they steal millions of dollars every day. They are not worried.
They steal desperately like ravaging wolves. They steal from the oil wealth before it reaches Nigeria. They steal from it when it reaches Nigeria. They steal in contracts when it is being spent in Nigeria, and then they steal again from our pockets with scams and schemes like the Immigration recruitment scheme, like the tokunbo car ban scheme, like road use taxes scheme, like privatization schemes.
They steal and exploit us with over priced oligopolies like cement for which we pay triple the global cost, like GSM/internet. They are not ashamed; they are not embarrassed because they are overtaken by the demons. No normal person can operate like them. No normal human being will be so desperate to steal as they do. This is not ordinary. These people are possessed. But my fear is for us, because as we live under this curse, as we tolerate this curse, we will continue to suffer and die under this curse, disgraced and denuded.
This nation needs fasting and prayers. This nation needs cleansing. Very, very bad things have been done. The living and dead have been offended beyond measure and redemption. Killers are the leaders of the nation, celebrated and defended. There is blood in Aso Rock. A heavy black curse hangs over this nation. Death, death, death everywhere. Terror, kidnapping, piracy, poisoning, corruption, greed, wickedness, violence.
Nigeria is begging for a good man who will put an end to these witches in power and purify the land. Nigeria cannot wait till 2015. Too many have died, are dying and too many more of our precious lives will be lost before then. We are not peaceful people; no we are vampires. We have partied over the graves of sacrificed brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers. We have laughed and voted for governments that killed our fathers.
This is not the dictatorship regime where they imposed themselves on us and we could be forgiven for not being able to do anything being subdued by guns and boots. We voted for Obasanjo, despite knowing who he was and where he was coming from. Fela turned in his grave when we did so. And of course, the curse has increased on us.
It was no accident that Yar’Adua died or was killed in office. Why and how did we vote for a leadership who were already confirmed robbers, and militant terror sponsors? Proverbs 29: 24: “Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.” How do we as a people, publicly profess support of these government thieves in rejection of our faith and acceptance of their curse? We the people have offended the memories of the dead, the killed. We have offended God.
May the souls of the departed rest. May their families have the fortitude to bear the loss. May their deaths not be unavenged. May the curse be removed from this land. Aso Rock must be sanctified or perhaps abandoned all together. It is a house of abomination. I rebuke the curse. I fight the cursed.
Dr. Brimah is a public affairs analyst.
Peregrino Brimah
The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.
The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.
For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.
The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.
Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.
The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.
But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.
It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.
Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.
The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.
Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.
Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.
Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.
Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.
Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.
“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.
The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.
As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.
The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.
By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator
Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land?”
In a swift reaction, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) decried and strongly condemned the invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In his denunciation, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the incident as very unfortunate and deeply troubling, warning against a recurrence of the violence experienced in Benue State. “The killing of yesterday is bad and very unfortunate. We are getting preliminary information about how the herders gained access to the farmland, and it appears some hoodlums may be collecting money and granting access illegally.”
He called on the Hausa community in Rivers State to intervene swiftly to prevent further attacks.
“We want the Hausa community in Rivers State to take urgent action to ensure these issues are resolved”.
But will such appeal and requests end the violent disposition of the Fulani herdsmen? It is not saying something new that the escalating threat and breach of peace across the country by the Fulani herdsmen or those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, leaves much to be desired in a country that is bedevilled by multi-dimensional challenges and hydra-headed problems.
Some upland Local Government Areas of Rivers State, such as Etche, Omuma, Emohua, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Abua, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have severally recounted their ordeals, as herdsmen invaded farmlands, destroyed crops, raped female farmers and killed protestant residents.
Again the wanton destruction of lives and properties which no doubt has overwhelmed the Nigerian Police, makes the clamour for State Police, indispensable. The National Assembly should consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow States to have their Statutory policing agencies.
As insurgency has risen to an all time high in the country were killings has now grown to be a normal daily activity in some part of the nation it may not be safe to say that Nigeria still practices democracy.
Several massacres coming from the Boko Haram and the herdsmen amongst all other insurgencies which have led to the destruction of homes and killing, burning of communities especially in the northern part of the country. All these put together are result of the ethnic battles that are fought between the tribes of Nigeria and this can be witnessed in Benue State where herders and farmers have been in constant clashes for ages. They have experienced nothing but casualties and unrest.
In the month of June 13-14, the Yelwata attack at the Guma Local Government Area by suspected gunmen or herdsmen who stormed the houses of innocent IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) claiming the lives of families, both adults and children estimated to be 200 victims. They were all burnt alive by these unknown gunmen.
This has been recorded as one of the deadliest insurgencies that had happened in recent years. Some security personnel that were trying to fight the unknown gunmen also lost their lives.
Prior to the Yelewata attack, two days before the happening, similar conflict took place in Makurdi on June 11, 2025. 25 people were killed in the State. Even in Plateau State and the Southern Kaduna an attack also took place in the month of June.
All other states that make up the Middle Belt have been experiencing the farmers/herders clash for years now and it has persisted up till recent times, claiming lives of families and children, homes and lands, escalating in 2025 with coordinated assaults.
Various authorities and other villagers who fled for safety also blamed the herdsmen in the State for the attack that happened in Yelwata community.
Ehebha God’stime is an Intern with The Tide.