By Isaac Asabor
It is not an exaggeration to say that amidst the campaign that heralded the immediate past presidential election that it was common to hear the supporters of the then presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), now President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yell “Emilokan” literally meaning “It is my turn” or better still “Awalokan” which in a similar literary perspective means “It our my turn”.
However, ostensibly averse to the campaign catchphrase, former President Olusegun Obasanjo urged Nigerian youths to shun the “mindset of Emi Lokan”. In an open letter endorsing the then Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi on Sunday, January 1, 2023, Obasanjo urged Nigerians, especially the youths, to instead embrace a new slogan, “Awa Lokan”, which means “our turn”.
The former president said: “Emi Lokan (My turn) is wrong attitude and mentality for the leadership of Nigeria now.
“Youth of Nigeria, your time has come, and it is now and please grasp it. If not now, it will be never. I appeal to you to turn the tide on its head and march forward chanting ‘Awa Lokan’ (Our turn) not with a sense of entitlement, but with a demonstrable ideological commitment to unity and transformation of Nigeria,” the former President said.
Despite oppositions faced ahead of the election, the wealthy politician, and former governor of Lagos State, now President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th president on 29 May, 2023. His inauguration came almost 3 months after being declared the winner by the nation’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and thereafter survived the Supreme Court verdict few months later on the validity of his victory bringing to an end a legal challenge brought by his two main rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the People Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) who argued that his victory was marred by irregularities.
Given the foregoing scenarios that were no doubt formidable odds, it will not be out of place to opine that the president, like a cat with nine lives, defied all odds to literarily snatch victory from the jaws of failure, particularly as he seemingly survived the political onslaught from Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the LP. In fact, his emergence as Nigeria’s number 1 citizen in no sense never flabbergasted most democratic Nigerians as he had in faraway Chatham House charged his top campaign operatives at the climax of his campaign to “fight”, “grab” and “run [away] with” political power.
At this juncture, it is expedient to opine that while Nigeria faces a dire economic difficulties since May 29, Tinubu’s biggest challenge may be overcoming the country’s legacy of ethnic politics, and revamping the messed up economy. Opinionating on the foregoing challenge in this context, it is expedient to recall that ahead of the election that ushered him to power, that he promised that under his rule that Nigeria would be the best it has ever been for the poor, unemployed young men and women. Yet one year into his administration, his renewed hope agenda is no closer to being hopeful.
In fact, during a campaign rally in Kano where he was backed by Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, and now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) having being rewarded for extending his support to the then presidential candidate of the APC, majorly over the suitability of the then presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, for the office of the president was thoroughly questioned as he was lampooned with all kinds of derogatory adjectives.
At the event, Tinubu had promised that the party, APC, would improve the country’s safety and youth education if voted for in the presidential election which was then forthcoming.
He said, “We can make Nigeria better, safer and more prosperous. We can educate our youths, feed our people, and put an end to fear. We can do these things. We can move you forward. But the others cannot. They want to hold you back so that only they can move forward.”
Without resorting to campaign of calumny, it is not inapt to say that his promises inspired renewed hope and high expectations even if it was crystal clear that plans to drive the elicit the promises into fulfillment were unrealistic.
In fact, the cynicism that characterized his promises turned real when he declared that “Subsidy Is Gone” amid his inauguration on May 29, 2023. Thus, his scrapping of the fuel subsidy triggered further rise in the cost of practically every goods and services that requires fuel to reach buyers and subscribers. His decision may have been a political move to prove that he will perform better than his predecessor, but not a few experts that are conversant with the dynamics of the nation’s economy criticized his declaration as the move snowballed to far-reaching and harsh implications for the wider public. It was not long before the cost of living became the main topic of discussion in the country’s media, even up to this moment.
The insensitivity of making the “Fuel Subsidy is gone” declaration has continued to attract condemnations as it no doubt exacerbated rising costs of living and inflation in the face of other chronic issues like corruption and widening differential rates between the Naira and other currencies at the foreign exchange market. Indeed, he even made bringing down the cost of living one of his major campaign promises. Thus, immediately after coming into office, he scrapped the petroleum subsidy, and this led to an immediate rise in petroleum price thereby worsening food crisis for millions of ordinary citizens who were already struggling with hunger.
To make matters worse, Nigerians have been taken aback and livid with anger at the report that the House of Representatives had concluded plans to give one bulletproof SUV worth N160 million to each of the 360 members of the lower legislative chamber.
The development has no doubt provoked the ire of Nigerians from various walks of life ranging from local motor manufacturers to opposing political parties, economic experts, rights activists, and ethnic nationality leaders among others.
This is coming at a time when the Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, raised the alarm that about 63 percent of Nigerians live in poverty.
The situation is also frightening and worrisome considering the rising trend of inflation, which has continued unabated in the recent time. According to a report, the country’s inflation rate has, in September, hit an all-time high of 26.72 percent as against the August headline inflation rate at 25.80 percent.
The Statistician-General, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Prince Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran, said the September headline inflation rate showed an increase of 0.92 percent when compared to the August headline inflation rate.
However, in the midst of the worsening economic situation in the country, which has left millions of Nigerians unable to afford one square meal per day, members of the Green Chambers of the National Assembly are spending a whopping N57.6 billion to procure brand new vehicles for its members.
The trajectory of frivolities which the government has decidedly taken has left many Nigerians speechless, with others calling for an amendment of the constitution in such a way that in future, the national assembly members would not be able to just wake up and spend such a humongous amount of money on such luxury cars when the country’s economy is wobbling.
Given the foregoing inanities and shenanigans that have so far characterized governance since May 29, and the biting hardship that Nigerians not a few Nigerians are compel to face, it is expedient to ask, “Is the prevailing hunger in our land a manifestation of how it is “our turn”? Aptly asked, is this what “Awalokan” or “Emilokan” all about.
