Should PBAT Not Learn From Starmer?

If Keir Starmer were a Nigerian leader, he would have blamed the opposition for every problem confronting his government, including natural disasters. Instead of stepping aside, he would have unleashed attack dogs and social media trolls to bombard critics daily, accusing opposition figures of masterminding the government’s failures and sabotaging his administration.

But he is not your typical Nigerian leader. He belongs to a political culture where institutions matter, where accountability is not viewed as a sign of weakness, and where primordial considerations such as religion, ethnicity, geopolitical origin, and other divisive sentiments do not determine whether a leader remains in office. What determines whether a leader stays in office is competence, performance and the ability to deliver on promises.

In Nigeria, as it is in most African countries, our leaders habitually remain in office despite stark governance failures. This sit-tight culture is the result of systemic flaws, the perks of public office, and a political landscape with very little or no accountability to the electorate.

Taking responsibility

In climes where things work the way they should, leaders take responsibility. And leaders who fail always do the needful: resign. Starmer did just as David Cameron did in July 2016. Theresa May did the same in July 2019, and Boris Johnson did the same in July 2022.

Before Johnson, there was Liz Truss, who left office in October 2022 after just 44 days in power. Rishi Sunak also followed suit in July 2024. Now, the world has watched Keir Starmer follow the same honourable path after many concluded that his government had failed to meet public expectations. The principle is simple: when leaders fail to meet the expectations of the people, they lose the moral right to remain in office.

One thing that is clear from the above scenario is that in the UK, there is accountable leadership in place. That is what is lacking in Nigeria, where each government manages to make the previous one seem better, leaving citizens nostalgic for the past.

During President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure, many Nigerians longed for the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) era. Despite the significant challenges that marked the GEJ administration, many believed life was comparatively better than under Buhari. Then came President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT), whose government made Buhari’s difficult years seem like a period of prosperity. Today, many Nigerians who once demanded GEJ’s exit now yearn for his return.

Alien to Nigerian politics

Under GEJ, security was poor. Bombings and mass killings became common, and the government seemed overwhelmed. Nigerians called for change as it became clear that the administration could not effectively manage the violence. The popular slogan was “Jonathan must resign.”

Among those who made that demand was the fiery Enugu-based Catholic cleric, Fr Ejike Anthony Mbaka. During one of his widely publicised sermons, he joined many opposition voices in urging Jonathan to leave office honourably because, in their view, he had failed. Jonathan, of course, never resigned. The reason was obvious. Resignation is almost alien to Nigerian politics. Indeed, it is rare across much of Africa.

Apart from South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, who resigned on 14 February 2018 ahead of an impending parliamentary no-confidence vote amid mounting pressure from the African National Congress (ANC) over corruption allegations; Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, who stepped down on 21 November 2017 following military intervention and intense public pressure; Algeria’s Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who resigned on 2 April 2019 after unprecedented youth-led protests; and Burkina Faso’s Blaise Compaoré, who resigned on 31 October 2014 after a massive popular uprising, African leaders have generally demonstrated an extraordinary determination to cling to power regardless of performance or overwhelming public dissatisfaction.

That is why I found the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s, recent call for PBAT to resign quite curious. Not because I disagree with the substance of the demand. Far from it. Like millions of Nigerians, I believe Tinubu has failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations.

However, we all understand the political culture here. Nigerian leaders do not resign, no matter how serious the situation becomes. That is why asking PBAT, who has clearly failed to discharge the responsibilities entrusted to him by Nigerians, to resign is regarded as childish, misplaced, and undemocratic.

Ignore and peril

We can ignore the issue if we want. However, as John Adams said, ‘facts are stubborn things; our wishes cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. Security is deplorable and is becoming even more frightening. The economy keeps worsening. Inflation and unemployment are high. The cost of living is high for many. Businesses are struggling to survive.

Killings, kidnappings for ransom and violent attacks continue almost daily, while the government increasingly appears either overwhelmed, incapable or unwilling to stop them. Only this week, several residents of Kawel village in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State were killed after armed men invaded the community on Sunday night, shooting indiscriminately before disappearing without a trace.

Sadly, the pattern has become painfully familiar. Gunmen invade peaceful communities. They kill innocent people. They disappear before security agencies arrive. Nobody is arrested. Nobody is prosecuted. Government officials condemn the attacks, issue statements of sympathy, deliver bags of rice and relief materials to grieving families, promise investigations, and then patiently wait for the next massacre to repeat exactly the same cycle. If that does not represent leadership failure, then nothing is.

In the build-up to the 2015 general election, opposition figures, including PBAT, repeatedly called for Jonathan’s resignation due to his failure to effectively address insecurity. More than a decade after the APC took power, the security situation has not improved. If anything, it has worsened considerably.

During Jonathan’s presidency, there was one incident of the mass abduction of schoolchildren. During Buhari’s eight years in office, the country recorded 16 such incidents. Under the Tinubu administration, thirteen similar incidents have already occurred in less than four years.

The main duty of any government is to safeguard lives and property. When a government fails to fulfil this essential responsibility, questions arise about its legitimacy and effectiveness. By all reasonable standards, the Tinubu administration has failed to inspire confidence in both security and economic management.

We face a government that has failed to rebuild public trust, generate widespread prosperity, control inflation, address unemployment, offer meaningful economic opportunities for many, or assure citizens that tomorrow will be better. The Nigeria of today is arguably in a worse condition than it was in 2014 under Jonathan. The greatest indictment of the current administration is that Nigeria has moved from bad to worse.

Any government that fails to meet public expectations has no moral right to remain in office. In this regard, the Tinubu administration should learn from Keir Starmer.

Ummulkhair…

The brutal murder of Ummulkhair Usman and the burning of her body in Maraban Jos, Igabi local government, Kaduna State, highlight the enormity of our situation. A woman was accused of attempting to steal children. A mob took the law into its hands, descended on her and killed her. Ummulkhair became a victim of jungle justice.

In Kaduna, where bandits frequently attack communities, kill many, abduct others, and often release them only after ransom, the mob’s energy was misdirected. Instead of confronting these killers, it shamelessly expressed its frustration by attacking someone accused of attempted theft. This is deeply disheartening. Those responsible must face the full wrath of the law.