Standing on Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate has become a slogan and a pledge that must be sung at his political gatherings. His political associates make this pledge to him as a reinforcement of their loyalty to his person, his lifelong dream and his politics. 

It is a wonder that such a pledge is not made for the progress of the country but to an individual. People bend their knees in reverence to this mortal politician. 

Mrs. Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, the former deputy governor to Mr. Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said in a video that All Progressives Congress (APC) is run like a Mafia organisation where Tinubu decides who is who and everyone has to serve and worship him and bring dues to him. Tinubu as the national leader of the party dictates the tune which necessitates the pledge of loyalty to him and his aspiration.  

The pledge has not only been sung by his close political associates and worship singers, it has been transported to the national scene. In many of the APC political rallies, the ‘on your mandate we shall stand’ song will be sung. But I wonder again if those in the rallies actually know what they are pledging to? 

Tinubu thinks of himself as the emperor who makes and builds political and social leaders. Where he does not have his way even in his mental and physical weakness, he will use fakery. Having his way is what he as an emperor must not be denied. That is why he does not think he owes Nigerians anything and also does not think he should interact with the mass of the people. He believes Nigerians owe him and must submit to his mandate.

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Naj’atu Muhammad, a former member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, said, “Tinubu has an emperor mentality and cares little about the country but himself. He only seeks to hold the knife that will cut the pie and gain material and psychological control of the people of the country. It is all about his ego and control. He is about the material and psychological control of the people of the country, particularly the south-west. I have heard him say that when he sleeps, the south-west sleeps. That is his mentality. It is like an emperor mentality.” 

While he dodges all debates and interviews, he would be proud to tell Nigerians calling for a change of government to ‘shut up’ and not have the effrontery to challenge his precious mandate. 

This mandate is not of the people but of an entitled man who believes as the emperor of his empire, it is time to sit at the manor and dictate. He is capable to unleash thugs and rioters to cause social unrest. He is a controller of men and women and his empire, where Nigeria and its resources should be deployed to the benefit of the emperor and his empire.

Nigerians are writhing in the pains of the administration of President Buhari who was considered a military brute but may mistakenly bring in a despot who thinks everyone is beneath him. With public money at his disposal, no one can challenge him and with his thugs, no one can question him. Some Nigerians may continue to stand on his mandate and may later on squat under his despotic rule.

Nigerian politics should not require such an emperor with the attached presidential powers which will afford him the leeway to sit on the people. While he is still asking for votes, he could not submit to the scrutiny of the people. Not when he has an enormous power that he can submit to the people. 

The people are being hoodwinked with the high packaging being done to get Tinubu in. With the mindset to get in to ‘chop’ with his loyalists, the Nigerian people may suffer it.

Election day is the resolution day. It is a day to welcome new ideas or stick with the old ideas. The enthronement of the emperor and his empire may send Nigerians back into poverty. While the old and weak emperor sleeps, Nigeria may be stripped naked.