Former governor of Jigawa State, Mr Sule Lamido has said that recent changes unfolding under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration are clearly threatening the balance that underpins free governance in the country.
This was as he questioned the rationale and moral value in having the name of an individual stamped on everything in Nigeria, stressing that Nigeria is fast becoming a Republic of Tinubu.
According to Lamido; “When you play God, and you have sycophants around you, you end up dancing naked”.
The former National Secretary of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the aborted Third Republic, noted that Nigeria’s democratic foundations are under serious strain.
He particularly noted that some key institutions such as the judiciary, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the legislature, and political parties that once acted as checks and balances, are now under pressure to align with the president’s agenda rather than serve the public interest.
He therefore stressed the need for reforms to restore autonomy to the bodies and particularly urged party leaders, lawmakers and civic groups to push for legislative safeguards that protect appointments and budgets from executive overreach.
He said that restoring transparent procedures will help recover public trust and prevent further weakening of the system.
Lamido, who stated these at a political event in Abuja, said that as a result, the independence of such institutions are being deliberately and steadily eroded.
Lamido, who was Minister of Foreign Affairs, also criticised what he described as the personalisation of national agencies, saying that offices and programmes that once bore neutral titles now carry the President Tinubu’s name or the names of his closest allies.
He said; “This practice undermines the sense of collective ownership that is essential in a republic. Elevating one individual in this way risks hollowing out institutional culture”.
Lamido stressed that when state institutions serve as mere extensions of a leader’s persona, their staff become reliant on patronage rather than merit and therefore warned that talent and professionalism will decline if careers hinge on loyalty rather than competence.
The former governor called on citizens to demand accountability, emphasising that a vibrant democracy requires institutions able to act independently of any single individual.
In the words of Lamido; “By reinforcing clear rules and resisting personalisation, Nigeria can reaffirm the principles of its republican constitution and safeguard its democratic future”.
