A long history of broken campaign promises runs deep among politicians, especially those who desperately sought and got elected to the highest office in their country. They never intended to fulfill those promises. They just mouth them to deceive and get elected. For them, campaign promises are off the cut reactionary screeds, designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator. When elected, you begin to see their true colours. It’s all about stuffing their own pockets, that of family members and business associates. Soon, they began to feel disconnected and unconcerned about the ordinary people. That’s why what most politicians do when they are seeking your votes is completely different from what they do after they have won election.
That’s the outcome of research by presidential historian, Prof Joseph Ellis, and American and journalist, author and Pulitzer award winner, Robert A. Caro, famously known for his biography of Lyndon Johnson, the 36th American President. While American politicians pay the price for unfulfilled promises, that hardly happens in Nigeria. It’s because, our politicians don’t feel they owe the voters any obligation in terms delivering the dividends of democracy. For them, voting on election day is just a “fulfillment of all righteousness”, as victory is for the highest bidder.
A look back at our political history and broken campaign promises troubles the mind. Tinubu’s presidency readily comes to mind. He may not realise this, but this has undone his administration in the past 20 months that he has been in the saddle. What has really happened is the culmination of a lifelong pursuit – and his false conviction – and complexity of ambition that he is uniquely qualified for the job. The picture that has emerged from his style of governance and the lack of depth and ‘credibility’, of those he has appointed to key positions, to borrow the words of the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, is built on an illusion that only him(Tinubu) has the ‘magic wand’ to fix Nigeria.
He won’t admit it, neither will his legion of sycophants, but this illusion of “I am the smartest-of- all Nigerian politicians’, is turning to be his undoing. As Mr Peter Obi said at the 4th Graduation ceremony of NexFord University, there are many “Yahoo people” in the Tinubu administration than those outside. No country makes sustained progress where those who are supposed to check corruption are reported to be involved in it. The recent exposé on some operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission(EFCC) is a case in point. What’s happening in Nigeria today shouldn’t surprise anyone because keeping campaign promises has become like platitudes to the man in the commanding height of power. Could that be the reason for the dreadful performance of this government in the past 20 months? Or could it attributed to something spiritual that Nigerians don’t know? I say this because last year, former Gov of Ondo state, and ex- National Chairman of the ruling party, Chief Bisi Akande, told an audience at a lecture organised by Arewa Think Tank, in Kaduna, that very close to the 2023 election, “prophesy was thick that Tinubu would not become the APC presidential candidate, but he did become”. Thereafter, Akande, continued, “spiritual threats and political maneuvering began that Tinubu would not be inaugurated as President, but he assumed the presidency”. But, why has the president failed to fulfill most of his campaign promises? And the few he has tried to implement have failed to make any impact on the people. His policies have inflicted extreme hardship on the citizens. If there’s anyone still in doubt, these are some President Tinubu’s unfulfilled campaign promises. During the campaigns, he promised that if elected president, “my immediate goal” will be to provide for all Nigerians the basic needs of life at the minimum, including affordable housing, food security, quality primary education and healthcare for all, a conducive and safe living environment”. The question: Are you better or worse off today in all the areas Mr. President promised?
As a presidential candidate, Tinubu also promised that if elected, he would “run a lean and efficient federal government with zero tolerance for wastefulness, corruption and inefficiency in public service delivery that will serve as a role model for other arms of government”. The contrary is the case today. Nigeria’s public service has become a cesspool of corruption. Many reports, including that of the Auditor General of the Federation(AuGF) show that the Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) stink. No transparency and accountability.
Contrary to his promise to instil budgetary discipline on a strictly January -December, Nigeria has reverted to the “old school” of anything goes. What this means is that proper planning cannot be assured, neither can a robust and transparent revenue drive be guaranteed. Besides, the President has not been able to achieve his short-term goal of exchange rate of N300/$1. If he couldn’t do that in 20 months, how can he achieve an exchange rate of N200/$ in the next 2 years remaining for his first term in office, except perhaps through magical, irrational or statistical voodoo.
Meanwhile, the hasty unification of the foreign exchange market has gone berserk. More than a year now, the naira has been in a free-fall. Many industries have shut down for lack of cash to source essential materials. A promise to build a “well-diversified, fast-growing economy, with an annual GDP growth of 12 percent has become a pipe dream. Same with the false promise provide 5,000MW of distributable power supply to all categories of customers nationwide. Never has Nigeria experienced the frequency of national grid collapse as we have had in the last 20 months.
Contrary to official claims, foreign reserves and investments have reduced drastically, as many multinationals have exited the country. Prices of food items are now beyond the reach of Nigerians. Latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) shows that food prices have surged to 91.6 percent. And you ask, what has happened to the $134 million support from the African Development Bank(AfDB) to boost food security across the country? Where is the over N1trn($1.32bn) the government claimed it saved in just two months after scrapping fuel subsidy?
Inflation is galloping like a roulette wheel, yet the President in his New year message has promised to reduce inflation rate this year to 15 percent. Experts have scoffed at that, describing it as mere aspiration that falls flat on the face of present economic realities. Truth has become number one casualty in Tinubu’s presidency. Propaganda and half-truths have become tools of governance. According to London-based Financial Times, Tinubu’s policies have forced Nigerians to “swallow bitter medicines”.
Government’s policies have become like poison for millions of Nigerians. Nothing is the same
in Nigeria anymore. In all, the present administration has become like that certain, wealthy man in the Bible named Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. While she was an intelligent and beautiful woman, her husband was surly and mean in his dealings. Read the details of what happened to Nabal as recorded in 1 Samuel chapter 25.