BENIN COUP: Your Tenure Has Worsened Nigeria’s Socio-Economic Conditions — Yoruba Union Warns Tinubu That Ongoing Injustices In Nigeria Could Provoke Undemocratic Alternatives
A Yoruba advocacy Union, Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá has criticized the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his predecessor, late Muhammadu Buhari, saying their tenures have worsened Nigeria’s socio-economic conditions.
Reacting to the political situation in neighboring Benin Republic, the union in a statement released on Sunday by the group’s Convener, Olusola Badero, through its Home Director, Princess Balogun, expressed deep concern over the growing disillusionment of Africans with political leaders who they say siphon public funds and push citizens into abject poverty.
According to the group, this prolonged neglect has often made citizens in many West African countries more accepting of military interventions as a solution to political failures.
The Union noted that for decades, Nigerians and other Africans have endured pain, suffering, and deprivation while receiving little or no benefit from democratic governance.
“Democracy is meant to guarantee transparency, accountability, and protection of citizens’ rights. But when political leaders manipulate state institutions like the police and the Department of State Services to suppress dissent, arrest citizens, and silence calls for good governance, people naturally feel betrayed and unsafe,” the statement read.
The group also called on the Tinubu government to take immediate steps to restore trust, ensure accountability, and implement policies that protect citizens’ rights and improve their living conditions, emphasising that the alternative could be catastrophic for Nigeria’s democratic experiment.
The group stressed that while they do not advocate for military takeovers, the ongoing injustices in Nigeria, including poor healthcare, decayed public infrastructure, and widening social inequalities could however provoke public frustration and support for undemocratic alternatives if left unchecked.
The group stressed that while they do not advocate for military takeovers, the ongoing injustices in Nigeria, including poor healthcare, decayed public infrastructure, and widening social inequalities—could provoke public frustration and support for undemocratic alternatives if left unchecked.
“Insecurity has reached alarming levels across the country, yet the government continues to negotiate with terrorists while ordinary citizens live in fear. Hospitals are dilapidated, lacking essential equipment and facilities, forcing patients to suffer while politicians travel abroad for first-class medical treatment at taxpayers’ expense,” Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá said.
“What happened in Benin Republic should be a wake-up call to all Nigerian politicians. Ignoring the needs of citizens and continuing to entrench poverty and hardship could, God forbid, push people to support extreme measures if the government fails to fulfill its constitutional obligations,” the Union warned.
“Nigerians must not wait for crises to escalate into violence or unrest,” the union warned. “Leaders must act now to prevent the deepening of poverty, frustration, and potential unrest that could destabilize the nation.”
“The failed coup is a mirror reflecting the frustrations of Africans across the continent, who are increasingly rejecting leaders that enrich themselves while leaving citizens to endure poverty and hardship.”
