Don’t blame Nigeria’s woes on Tinubu – Ayo Opadokun

 

 

 By Nehru Odeh

 

Chief Ayo Opadokun, a chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO,  has urged Nigerians not to blame the nation’s woes on President Bola Tinubu, adding that the country has been misgoverned for too long.

The elder statesman made this known at the public presentation of his book, “The Gun Hegemony”, which held on January 15, 2026 at MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

Opadokun based his premise on the fact that not only has the country experienced misrule for too long, the military has had a hand at the affairs of the country since it intervened in Nigeria’s politics on January 15, 1966 and they still remain in charge.

“Some people don’t have broad-mindedness to appreciate the fact that when people rule for such long periods, all the public institutions in Nigeria have been established by them, their minions, their surrogates, their loyalists, their confederates, their sympathizers, they remain in charge.

“They now start talking about, how civilians have taken over power for many, many years. So, what can they do? So, you can blame blame Tinubu. You can say anything about him,” Opadokun stated.

Opadokun also praised the president for the tax reforms, which according to him will benefit the Nigerian masses.

“Last year at my Offa home, during my 21st Christmas carol service,  I said President Bola Tinubu was taking a shot at fiscal federalism with the four tax bills he sent to the National Assembly, and that whether some people like it or not, it will succeed.  Has it not succeeded? You may not like it, but the truth of the matter is that only public servants who earn small money pay tax in Nigeria.

“The people who are making the money don’t pay anything. They dodge and bribe  revenue officers. He (Tinubu) has tried to right that wrong.Some people, they don’t like it and some  they are raising hell.

While Opadokun acknowledged the fact that the security situation in Nigeria is unwarranted and it shows that the security architecture is unfit for now, he blamed it on the desertification of the Sahel region.

“But then, you must know the circumstances within which this is happening, locally and internationally.  Look at the Sahel region. Look at what has happened to them. No more green.  They are looking for a way to get into Nigeria. And that’s why they are ethnically cleansing our people.

“And you think that somebody who has just come, who is just finding his feet, will be able to tackle that immediately?  Don’t let’s deceive ourselves. This country has been misgoverned for too long. It will not take three years for it to be righted,” Opadokun maintained.

Dignitaries at the event included Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, who represented the president; Chief Sam Amuka-Pemu, Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers and the Chairman of the occasion; Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth;  Sen.  Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who was the Chief Launcher; Aremo Olusegun Osoba; and Chief JK Randle, the Principal Launcher at the event.