Earliest sign that something was amiss was the controversial choice of a Muslim-Muslim ticket. While the Nigerian Constitution does not mandate religious balancing, Nigeria’s political structure, long built on delicate and sensitive ethnic and religious mosaics, required leaders to be intentional about inclusivity. Tinubu’s choice unsettled many Nigerians, particularly in the Christian community, and signaled a disregard for the symbolic gestures that often anchor national cohesion. For a country persistently wrestling with ethno-religious distrust, the decision felt more like a dismissive oversight. Still, many waited for policy direction before forming judgment. Sadly, what followed did little to restore confidence.
In one of the most consequential early decisions of his administration, Tinubu declared, off-the-cuff during his inauguration speech in May, 2023, that “fuel subsidy is gone.” In a multicultural economy dependent on oil, such off-hand proclamations rarely serve any useful purpose. Expectedly, the presidential fiat sent immediate shockwaves through the economy. With no transitional framework, no palliative structures prepared, and no clear strategy communicated, the announcement triggered abrupt increases in transportation costs, food prices, production expenses, and precipated a general hardship never seen in the country. Economists and policy analysts were quick to note that while removing fuel subsidy had long been identified as necessary, doing so without proper planning or putting safety nets in place, amounted to an avoidable economic disaster. Essentially, the manner of the presidential announcement revealed more than just a policy gamble, but rather highlighted a lack of preparedness or, worse, an absence of the disciplined leadership temperament, required for managing high-stakes national decisions. Unfortunately, subsequent actions have reinforced the impression that the subsidy declaration was not an isolated misstep.
Since then, the administration has exhibited a pattern of improvisation, inconsistent communication, and unclear policy sequencing that appear to emerge without coherent frameworks. To worsen matters, government officials, in pursuit of lucre, often offer conflicting explanations that leave citizens confused and investors wary.Take the foreign exchange reforms. Though necessary and crucial to reposition the economy, the reforms were poorly sequenced, allowing the naira to free-fall, deepening in it’s stead, inflationary pressure. Subsequently, social intervention programmes, often lacking transparency and impact, have been erratic while economic policies appeared experimental rather than anchored in proper planning. Even diplomatic engagements, such as the threat of war to reverse the military coup in neighbouring Niger Republic, have sometimes appeared hasty, uncoordinated and unrealistic.
The problem of deficit leadership may aptly be described as endemic. Quite too often, politicians and their supporters fail to appeciate that effective leadership is more than political ambition or past achievements. Truth is, effective leadership demands adaptability, empathy, consistency, competence, and the ability to assemble and manage a capable team. Unsurprisingly, most appointments since 2023, criticised as recycling familiar political loyalists and rewarding failed public office seekers, have not inspired confidence because appointees are not considered from Nigeria’s deep reservoir of technocratic talent. As a eesul, key ministries, such as defence and education, appear reactive rather than proactive while committees proliferate without commensurate outcomes. The sense of direction that Nigerians crave is noticeably missing.
It may be taken that no Nigerian president has assumed office under ideal conditions. The country faces structural weaknesses, chiefly among them, security challenges, heavy debt burdens, infrastructural decay, unemployment, and a global economic climate that remains unpredictable. However, leadership is ultimately tested by how effectively one confronts difficulties, not by the scale of the challenges. Since 2023, what Nigerians expected was strategic leadership with clarity of vision but, rather sadly, what they regularly see feels like policy turbulence, experimentation and a government that often appears to be learning on the job in the most disingenuous way possible.
Still, Nigeria is not without hope. The nation has weathered difficult seasons before, rising through sheer resilience and the unyielding determination of its people. But leadership remains pivotal to harnessing that resilience. For Tinubu, the path to redemption lies in recalibrating his governance style by embracing consultation, strengthening policy planning, expanding the talent pool, communicating clearly, and prioritizing the welfare of citizens above political survival beyond 2027.
For too long, politicians and their hangers-on have continued to see and treat presidency of Nigeria as a place for improvisation. It is not! Similarly, the presidency is not a stage for impulsive declarations and empty political pronouncements. Fact is, the presidency in Nigeria is the command center of Africa’s largest democracy and should be seen and treated as such. Nigerians, on their own, deserve leadership that is thoughtful, prepared, and deeply grounded in competence. Still, President Tinubu has the opportunity to rewrite the narrative of his early missteps. But the question that won’t go away, at least not for now, is whether he possesses the humility, competence, foresight, and skill to change course.
Clearly, Nigeria stands at a crossroads, and history will record, not just the challenges of this era, but the quality of leadership that rose, or failed to rise, to meet those challenges.
Magaji <magaji778@gmail.com > writes from Abuja
