It is nothing short of a truism to say that the Nigerian political space is like a thespian art which has lots of casts. The characters, the playwright, the directors, the stage managers and importantly the audience all have their roles to play and in sincerity, these roles are being played perfectly.

Prior to the present realities, the electioneering period is one usually laced with different political theatrics; the populace, ab initio the audience, usually becomes the playwright – they dictate the outcome of the thespian arts we tag elections. Since they have been entrusted with the most important position, they are treated like gods. Every basic social amenity is made available to them, their salaries are increased, the arrears are paid, goods become cheaper, fuel scarcity becomes a thing of the past and the economic policies suddenly start to favour the masses. These are the consistent trajectories of happenings preceding major elections in Nigeria but everything appears to have changed.

Unlike every other election cycle, Nigerians are faced with every economic malaise that would make them run far away from backing the ruling party. Fuel scarcity, naira redesign, and humongous debt profile, to mention a few. Why is this the case? Are political parties no longer interested in winning major elections and remaining in power? The reasons for these unusual ‘sufferings’ imposed on the masses by some ‘powers-that-be’ are not far-fetched. The ruling administration has been hijacked by those who do not believe in its political structure. As a result of this, policies that tend to pitch the people against the ruling party are being pushed and the economy is being made unbearable for the common person.

It would be quite unimaginable to predict that there would be an extreme fuel scarcity forcing Nigerians to purchase petrol at over N300 per litre less than a month before an election the ruling party intend to win. It is more comical when one realises that the president is the Minister of Petroleum and has refused to take a strong stand on the issue of fuel scarcity. Independent oil marketers have become the demigods who hoard and sell fuel at will.

If not for anything, undecided voters will swing their ballots to other political parties in the wake of this government-induced fuel scarcity. The loser in all of this is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The present economic realities are so dire that no ‘sane’ average Nigerian can come out to boast that they are supporters of the ruling party. On what premise would such a proposition not be countered? Don’t you purchase fuel at ridiculous prices despite the scandalous subsidy regime? Are the naira redesign policy and the quick implementation rush not a worry for you? Are you comfortable with the hardship necessitated by the widespread fuel hike? No one in their sane mind, except APC politicians and their robotic followers, would be proud to align with this administration.

The question on the lips of many is if there is indeed sabotage. Are all these meant to dim the winning chances of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February polls? In periods like this, the Machiavellian spirit of politicians comes out in full fledge and the signs of this are evident for everyone to see. The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, has clandestinely portrayed his political bias. His insistence that the old naira notes would cease to be legal tender by January 31st attests to this. The reality on the ground is that the old notes are still being used across the country, ATMs still dispense the old notes, and many Nigerians in remote areas still do not have bank accounts and are more comfortable transacting in cash. This should not be the norm but correcting such should be done in phases AND not in a rush as being carried out by the CBN.

It is almost unlikely for an administration seeking reelection to come up with policies that would truncate their chances months before the election but everything done by the ruling APC government points towards this direction. The result of these policies is what is now unknown. Is the administration working against the flagbearer of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress? Are these untoward hardships meted on Nigerians meant to spur a widespread revolt that would result in the cancellation of the election? One thing is certain, he who bases the piper dictates the tune! Who is ‘basing’ the piper? What is the intended tune? The thespies in this thespian art are the best to answer the question.

Tinubu’s Rant In Abeokuta And What It Symbolises

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress went on a second tirade at the Moshood Kashimawo Abiola stadium in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital on Wednesday, 25th January.

This time around, Tinubu hinted that the hardships occasioned by fuel scarcity, the naira redesign policy and the debts incurred by the government are meant to dim his chances in the 2023 election. The stage and location of Tinubu’s outburst are symbolic as it brings back the memory of MKO Abiola who was denied the apex political seat in Nigeria. Like Abiola, Tinubu is running a same-faith ticket with the running mate being a person from the northeastern extraction. Tinubu made the damning allegations at a stadium named after MKO Abiola and like the Epetedo declaration, Tinubu’s tirade was meant to unsettle the holders of power. Is the February poll another plot to prevent the South-west region from attaining the presidential position? That would be known in less than a month.

What Tinubu Said

At the Abeokuta rally, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu chastised major players in the Buhari administration while charging the voters to support him en masse during the polls.

“They don’t want this election to hold. They want to sabotage it (elections). Will you allow them?”, Tinubu asked the teeming supporters at the rally, to which they responded “No.”

“Even if they said there is no fuel, we will trek to vote. They have a lot of mischiefs; they could say there is no fuel. They have been scheming to create a fuel crisis, but forget about it.

“Relax, I, Asiwaju, have told you that the issue of fuel supply will be permanently addressed. Whoever wants to eat the honey embedded in a mountain won’t worry about the axe. Is that not so? And if you want to eat palm kernel, you would bring stone and use it to break it, then the kernel will come out. It’s not easy to…

“Let them increase the price of fuel, only them know where they have hoarded fuel, they hoarded money, they hoarded naira; we will go and vote and we will win. Even if they changed the ink on Naira notes. Whatever their plans, they will come to nought. We are going to win. Those in the PDP will lose (won ma lule).

“I am homeboy, I have come here, you will not be put to shame, we will take over the government from them, the traitors who wanted to contest with us. They had no experience.

“The great Nigerian youths, the great Nigerian students, the confident Nigerian youths. This is a revolution. This election is a revolution. They are plotting, but they will fail. They said fuel price will increase and reach N200 per litre. Go and relax. They don’t want this election to be held, they want to scuttle it. Will you allow them?”