The Villa Coronation and Matters Arising

So, here we are again. Another day, another political drama. Last Thursday at the Presidential Villa, we witnessed what can only be described as the most elaborate political coronation ceremony since the days of ancient kingdoms.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, senators, representatives, and every political office holder who could find their way to Abuja gathered to declare President Bola Tinubu as their “sole candidate” for 2027. Not just their preferred candidate, mind you, but their SOLE candidate. Senate President Godswill Akpabio even went as far as calling him “the sole candidate of the Nigerian population.”

The sole candidate of the Nigerian population? Did I miss the memo where 200 million Nigerians were consulted on this matter?

What we witnessed was democracy Nigerian style – where the people’s choice is decided by a few dozen politicians in air-conditioned halls, far removed from the realities of ordinary citizens struggling to put food on their tables.

Let me be clear from the start: Every politician has the constitutional right to seek re-election. But the manner of this endorsement, coming barely two years into his first term, raises serious questions about our democratic maturity.

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Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma moved the motion to adopt Tinubu. Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State seconded it. Senate President Akpabio endorsed it with the passion of a revival preacher, and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas sealed it on behalf of 109 senators and 360 House members.
It was political choreography at its finest. Too smooth, too rehearsed, too perfect. You could smell the stage management from miles away.

But here’s what bothers me the most: where was the debate? Where was the evaluation of the “Renewed Hope Agenda”

Instead, we got a love fest where everyone sang praises without asking the hard questions.
President Tinubu dismissed concerns about Nigeria becoming a one-party state, saying defections to APC merely reflect “freedom of association.” He welcomed more defections with the words: “Sweep them clean.”

But this is exactly the problem. When political opposition becomes an endangered species, democracy suffers. When governors, senators, and representatives abandon their parties in droves to join the ruling party, it’s not always about ideology or performance – it’s often about survival and access to resources.
We’ve seen this movie before. During the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) years, we watched as opposition figures trooped to the ruling party, not because the PDP was performing miracles, but because that’s where the power and resources were concentrated.

Now the script has flipped, but the story remains the same. Politicians follow power like bees follow honey. It’s not necessarily about vision or mission – it’s about position and commission.

Why are we talking about 2027 endorsements in 2025? Why are party leaders more concerned about securing the next election than addressing current challenges?

The answer is simple: our politicians are more interested in power retention than service delivery. They spend more time plotting their next moves than executing their current mandates.
While the APC leaders were busy endorsing Tinubu for 2027, millions of Nigerians are grappling with high cost of living, and wondering when the promised economic recovery would reach their pockets.

The North is still dealing with banditry and kidnapping. The South East is battling insecurity. The South West is not immune to economic hardship. Yet, our politicians are already campaigning for the next election cycle.

Here’s a radical idea: why don’t we let Nigerians decide who their “sole candidate” should be? Why don’t we focus on governance and let performance speak for itself?

The truth is, Nigerians are not asking for endorsements from governors and senators. They’re asking for good governance, security, economic stability, and quality of life improvements.

They want to see the fuel subsidy removal translate into better infrastructure and services. They want to see the naira policy bring stability to their purchasing power. They want to see the CNG initiative reduce their transportation costs significantly.

Political endorsements are easy to get when you control the party machinery and have access to state resources. The real test comes at the ballot box, where ordinary Nigerians make their choices based on their lived experiences.

I think our political leaders should spend less time on political endorsements and more time on governance. Focus on delivering the promised transformation rather than securing early endorsements.
The Nigerian people are not interested in your internal party arrangements. They want to see results. They want to feel the impact of your policies in their daily lives.

Democracy thrives on choice, competition, and accountability. When we start anointing “sole candidates” two years before elections, we’re not strengthening democracy – we’re weakening it.

Let the president focus on governance and let the people decide in 2027 whether he deserves a second term. That’s how democracy is supposed to work.

As the famous proverb says, – the people are the certificate.

The coronation may be over, but the real test is just beginning. And that test will be conducted not in the Villa’s Banquet Hall, but in the ballot boxes across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas. May the best candidate win.