In a nation once heralded as the “Giant of Africa,” Nigeria now teeters on the brink of democratic collapse under President Bola Tinubu’s watch—a regime that Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has branded a cesspool of corruption, criminality, and outright fraud. In a blistering interview on Arise News on April 1, 2025, Obi didn’t mince words: “People with unverified forged certificates and criminal records all over the place, and they are in charge.” His words, echoing the frustrations of millions, have sparked a firestorm, with Nigerians on X, like user @anenecharles, summarizing the grim reality: “It’s a government of criminals, by criminals, for criminals in Nigeria today.” Buckle up, because this is a scathing exposé of a nation in freefall, where democracy is nothing but a hollow shell, and the people are left to suffer under the weight of a leadership that reeks of illegitimacy.
Let’s start with the elephant in the room: the forged certificates. Obi’s allegations aren’t just hot air—they’re a damning indictment of a system that has long been rotten to its core. Reports from Nigeria-law.org have exposed a thriving underground industry of fake government certificates, with scammers brazenly forging credentials for everything from academic degrees to NYSC certificates. These aren’t just petty criminals; they’re the very people sitting in the hallowed halls of power, making decisions that affect 200 million Nigerians. Imagine a country where the qualifications of its leaders are as fake as a three-naira note, yet they strut around with the arrogance of untouchables. Under Tinubu’s administration, this isn’t a bug—it’s a feature. The basic democratic requirement that leaders must be qualified—primary school, secondary school, university, a certain age—has been thrown out the window. Instead, we have a parade of fraudsters, their criminal records swept under the rug, now calling the shots.
But the rot doesn’t stop at forged certificates. Nigeria’s democracy, as Obi rightly pointed out, is a “captured state.” A September 2024 Tribune article laid bare the systemic corruption, insecurity, and suppression of free speech that have become the hallmarks of Tinubu’s tenure. The judiciary, once a bastion of hope, is now a puppet on strings, with court rulings allegedly influenced by the highest bidder. Obi himself recalled a time under former Presidents Obasanjo and Yaradua when the courts were largely free from corruption—a stark contrast to today, where a president can suspend an entire state government on a whim. Case in point: Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, as reported by Reuters. The governor, deputy, and all lawmakers were unceremoniously sacked, ostensibly due to a political crisis and a pipeline blast. But let’s call it what it is—a power grab, plain and simple. Tinubu’s excuse? “No good and responsible president will standby and allow the grave situation to continue.” The irony is thicker than crude oil: a president presiding over a nation drowning in chaos has the audacity to lecture on responsibility.
Rivers State, a key oil-producing region, is a microcosm of Nigeria’s broader crisis. The Trans Niger Pipeline blast that prompted Tinubu’s draconian measures wasn’t an isolated incident—it’s part of a long history of sabotage by militants in the Niger Delta, a region that has been exploited and neglected for decades. Yet, instead of addressing the root causes—poverty, unemployment, environmental degradation—Tinubu’s solution is to tighten the screws, suspend elected officials, and leave the judiciary as the only functioning arm of government in the state. “For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm,” Tinubu declared, as if that’s supposed to reassure anyone. Nigerians aren’t fools. They see through the charade: a judiciary that “functions” only to rubber-stamp the whims of the executive is no judiciary at all.
And then there’s the response from Tinubu’s camp—predictably pathetic. Daniel Bwala, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, had the gall to call Obi a “failed politician” who doesn’t understand democracy, as reported by Naija News on March 25, 2025. Bwala’s attack is laughable, if not outright delusional. Obi, a man who has consistently called out the failures of this administration, is the one standing up for the democratic ideals that Tinubu and his cronies have trampled underfoot. Bwala’s claim that Obi has “never taken a stand in defence of democracy” is a bald-faced lie, especially when Obi has been a lone voice in the wilderness, decrying the erosion of democratic norms. Meanwhile, Tinubu’s administration has done nothing but witness protests, as Obi noted in a March 2024 statement to The Guardian Nigeria, without offering concrete solutions to the suffering of Nigerians. Inflation is through the roof, oil prices are climbing due to global supply fears (as noted in the Arise News ticker), and the average Nigerian can barely afford a meal. Yet, Tinubu’s team seems more interested in silencing dissent than addressing these crises.
The X post by @anenecharles captures the visceral anger of a nation betrayed. “Government of criminals, by criminals, for criminals”—a phrase that should be etched on the gates of Aso Rock as a warning to future generations. Nigerians are tired of being governed by a cabal that thrives on deceit and impunity. The 2027 elections loom on the horizon, but with zoning disputes and Atiku’s ambitions stalling any coalition against Tinubu (as reported by Naija News), the path to change looks bleak. Tinubu’s re-election bid is already being propped up by a machinery of fraud and suppression, with the APC and other parties reportedly courting Obi as a “beautiful bride” to join their ranks—a cynical ploy to co-opt his credibility while maintaining the status quo.
Nigeria under Tinubu is a democracy in name only—a sham where the rule of law is a distant memory, and the people’s voices are drowned out by the clinking of stolen coins in the pockets of the elite. Peter Obi’s scathing critique isn’t just a wake-up call; it’s a battle cry for a nation on the brink. The question is: will Nigerians rise to the challenge, or will they continue to be ruled by a government that embodies the very definition of criminality? The clock is ticking, and the Giant of Africa is on its knees—shackled by the chains of a democracy that exists only on paper.
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