By Ikeddy ISIGUZO

HAMISU Abdullahi, 38, an electrician, and father of four, was arrested in Suleji, Niger State, the other Friday. His offence, ordinarily, should have been laughed off.

Not when his “joke” tangled the nerves of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, a famous proponent of no speech. Bago has excelled in deciding who speaks and what is said.

Above the din and dust associated with the presence of a Governor, Hamisu started shouting, “No water. No light”, shattering the pretence at governance which mainly includes ensuring a Governor only hears things pleasing to his ears.

Did Hamisu lie? No. The truth no longer sets people free. They could end up in jail. If they are lucky, they could survive.

Hamisu was speaking for Nigerians, all over the land, where governance has been reduced to speeches laced with layered lies, jumbled jamborees abroad, and curated photo opportunities.

Hamisu was reporting Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Jagaban Borgu, President of Nigeria, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a man with immense powers, plus the ones he has appropriated through Executive Orders or others orderlessly taken.

Tinubu is powerful enough to ensure there is electricity round the clock in Nigeria. He has doused his electricity policy in such sophistry that it generates failure.

In a Nigeria that people provide their own water and electricity, Hamisu’s was a cry for help – a cry on behalf of all Nigerians who suffer the double jeopardy of high prices for poor services, where they are available.

Price of petrol on the eve of Tinubu’s presidency in May 2023 was N195 per litre in Lagos and N197 in Abuja. The current price is N1,500 per litre not because of the war in Iraq as they shamelessly say, or the removal of subsidy but the incompetence of Tinubu that he hauntingly displaces in every aspect of his administration.

Tinubu spent billions of our money on a solar power system that effectively relieved his official residence and offices of the menace called electricity supply.

Did he apologise to anyone or lift a tiny finger to improve our electricity situation? Selfish like Tinubu, no cares about the common good.

Tinubu is an embarrassment on many scores. The bigger embarrassment is the millions of Nigerians who go through these Tinubu-induced circumstances and justify them.

“By all means necessary, you must have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated billing anymore. We will honour the promises we make. If I don’t keep the promise and I come back for a second term, don’t vote for me,” said Tinubu in December 2022 to a mixed town hall gathering of business people and politicians in Lagos.

Applause rented the air.

Tinubu had no plans to provide electricity in any form. His promise is as hollow as things Tinubu. Those who are reminding Tinubu of that promise are not fair to themselves.

Daniel Bwala’s epic remark on Tinubu in 2022, “Even if you give Tinubu 30 years, nothing will work”, remains true though Tinubu is Bwala’s current green pasture.

What will we do about the devastating consequences of Tinubu on most of us? Tinubu is defiant and unapologetic over his serial failures. He would rather shift blames, share blames than admit that his administration has been an unmitigated disaster in all areas.

“Today, we just want to take some time to remind President Tinubu that he promised Nigerians uninterrupted electricity within four years. Yes, that’s right, Mr President promised us 24/7 power. All by himself,” Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, stated in a long X post on 20 July 2025.

“Since Tinubu took office, electricity tariffs have jumped by 240%, but the grid has collapsed 12 times, plunging millions of homes and businesses into repeated darkness.

“Over 90 million Nigerians still lack electricity, while many get just 4 to 6 hours a day under Tinubu’s failed Band A–E system.

“In rural communities, most of Nigeria’s 50 million families remain completely off the grid, with no access to electricity at all.

“Yet, Mr. President still has not moved the needle. In 26 months, there has been no major power sector reforms, no clear roadmap, and no sense of urgency.

“We are past the halfway mark of this administration, and millions of Nigerians are still charging their phones at mobile charging kiosks, and spending hundreds of thousands to fuel their generators,” Abdullahi stated.

Things have worsened since then. The collapse of the national grid has become more frequent, and Tinubu no longer discusses the electricity debacle. He ignores it. He hS moved on.

Abdullahi seemed to have misinterpreted Tinubu who did not say he would not run for second term. He said we should not vote for him.

Tinubu sounds like our votes would not matter. More like, if you like, don’t vote for me because of electricity.

It is typically Tinubu to mock us. He has all the 36 Governors pledging their support for him. Yet Tinubu is in a panic.

Sometimes, he remembers that he is a human being, no matter how his panjandrums promote him.

He may still consider a constitutional amendment to return him unopposed since all the Governors support him. And Obong Godswill Akpabio is not Chairman of the National Assembly for nothing.

For Tinubu, Nigerians do not count. We do not matter. We may be mere statistics, but we frighten Tinubu. He knows his bags of rice are as insulting as they are admissions that he failed badly in managing and will be worse with more years as Bwala predicted.

Nigerians have been mistreated enough to punish Tinubu with their votes. We count.

Hamisu’s lone voice was considered a threat that could “disrupt government activities”. What if more voices shout, “No water. No light”?

Finally…

CHIEF of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede has confirmed that terrorists in the North-East (only?) should be allowed to repent instead of being killed. He spoke at a lecture in Abuja. He likened terrorists to the biblical prodigal son whose father accepted his repentance.

Who did the prodigal son kill to merit comparison with terrorists?

Exactly what battle instructions does Oluyede give his troops? Capture terrorists for repentance even if they kill you. And our military and other security agents who terrorists kill daily should follow this instruction which one thought was the brainwave of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

Does this instruction also apply to terrorists in other parts of Nigeria?

A MOTHER of eight, in Kano, died a day after she was delivered of five babies from her latest pregnancy – she had eight children earlier. She left behind 13 children whose future bears the extra burden of being motherless. There was a point she should have stopped. Sadly, it took death to stop her.

DELEGATES of the All Progressives Congress (APC), 8,453 of them, descended on Abuja on Friday for a national convention that crowned Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the party’s presidential candidate. National deceit was in abundance when thousands who know their lives were better pre-Tinubu would put up shows to affirm Tinubu as Nigeria’s best President forever. Incompetence was grossly present too. Police teargassed delegates and journalists who thought that their accreditation cards could grant them access to the venue.

Were this to happen at the convention of other political parties, we would have said the police acted with orders from above. If teargas was activated at APC’s convention, be sure that every convention will be teargassed.

HERDERS chose when the APC North Central zonal congress was going on in Lafia, Nasarawa State, to unleash mayhem on the State in broad daylight. Their target was Mararaba, about 170km to Lafia and just 14km outside Abuja. Reports say it was a reprisal attack on a farmer. Number of casualties remains unknown. Lawlessness continues to be accommodated.

NIGERIA Democratic Congress, NDC, held its first National Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday in Abuja. Delegates from across the country deliberated on creating in-roads into Nigeria’s democratic space.

•ISIGUZO is a major commentator on minor issues.

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