We are lucky. The Internet is unlike us. That’s our greatest saving grace. In fact, the internet is proudly “unNigerian.” It does not have faded memory. Rather, its retention is hyper-sharp, evergreen and everlasting.

The Internet is never a “mumu” nor a “mugu.” It is active, lively and alert. And effectively alive to its enormous responsibilities. It’s not given to excuses, complaints, frivolities or trivialities. It is prompt with unmatched precision.

Nigerians are its exact opposite. Tragic and sad! Our memories grow pale fast and wash away easily and speedily. Too short indeed. We lack retentive memory. That is why we’re highly gullible. We remember not the past. And fall for emptiness and nothingness. Shallow and hollow.

We are prey to manipulation, exploitation, intrigues and the likes. And we do that with uncanny leisure and pleasure. We almost lost Saturday, December 20, 2014, to our poor recollection. But for the Internet. That day, Tinubu was evidently on top of his own world.

He was high in spirit. Doing what he knows how to do the best: Politicking; electioneering. Unarguably. None of his contemporaries. Dead or alive, can come near him. His do-gooders impressed it on us. That his self-famed dexterity is second to none.

He’s a long-distant runner. That’s expressly given. Politics doesn’t bore him. It excites him, energises him. And eventually elevates him. He has been so exceptionally lucky in his political exploits. A cat with more than nine lives!

Tinubu latched onto that Saturday richly. He made maximum use of the opportunity dropped on his palms. On a gold platter. He grabbed it with all his might. And speedily ran with it.

He hit ex-President Goodluck Jonathan hard. Where it mattered most. Unpretentiously, Jonathan felt the pain. It was deep and excruciating. He literally took Jonathan to the cleaners. He thoroughly dusted him.

Obviously, he spoke our collective mind. He aptly addressed our pitiable plight. That was then. Tinubu was loud and clear. His voice resonated throughout the land:

“A nation fails because of the leadership failures. If there is a good leader at the top, a nation will not fail. Because the fish start getting rotten from the head. The poverty, insecurity, unemployment which we are witnessing today in this country is because the head has failed.

“Let them stop giving us excuses that Boko Haram is in my government, fish them out. That we have saboteurs in the military, you are admitting failure. No excuse for failure, Mr. President, we chose you to lead this country. Resign, if you cannot; enough of the excuses.”

Let’s sincerely interrogate Tinubu on his outburst. In today’s context. It’s worth its weight. Tinubu’s “today” in 2014 remains our sordid “today” in April 2026. After a span of 12 unbroken years. No motion. No movement. But sinking carelessly. We ponder in fear. Where we will be in five, 10 years’ time.

Now that he has successfully swapped positions with Jonathan. Let’s try a brisk rewind. Let Tinubu attempt a repeat of the utterances he vomited on December 20, 2014. Let him dare it. If he’s audacious enough. He would regret he did. No sane mind will ever risk that. Will he be bold as he was 12 years ago?

Tinubu was ostentatiously carried away in that moment, that Saturday. He allowed himself to be ruled by emotions and sentiments. He poured out profusely like a sobbing tot. And Tinubu really totted that day. He did it without caution.

He never ever thought of today. That it would come the manner it did today. He couldn’t have. Now, today has come! Whatever comes around goes around. Do unto others what you would want others to do unto you. Nemesis comes to play? Or, a Daniel comes to judgement? Whatever. Whichever. Anyway. Anyhow…

He is genuinely counselled. If he arrogantly feigns ignorance. And pretends to forget his outburst as it’s in his element. The result will likely end in a monumental disaster.

Doubt it not. No iota of lies in what Tinubu claimed in 2014. Even now in 2026. Twelve solid years after! Rather. It worsens as our thick clock ticks.

And so far, so bad. Tinubu hasn’t walked his talk. The ineptitude he axed Jonathan for is falling on him heavily. Heavier than Jonathan’s. Sampler:

How will Tinubu handle this? His denunciation of Jonathan: “A nation fails because of the leadership failures. If there is a good leader at the top, a nation will not fail. Because the fish start getting rotten from the head. The poverty, insecurity, unemployment which we are witnessing today in this country is because the head has failed.” This is not strategic, but tragic! Neither is it strategy, but tragedy!

Tinubu has just brilliantly made a beautiful satire out of himself. Willingly, voluntarily. And it was a good outing. A huge success. He did us a lot of good with that his singular act. We’re highly indebted to him for life. If only for that. He has performed creditably well. It’s credited to him as achievement. We are not ingrates. We won’t forget him in a hurry.

He wasn’t done yet. He is a man of action. He yearned for more. Exactly eight years after. He arrogantly ran into another storming hurricane. You refused to pick a useful lesson from your 2014 misstep. Sad!

Maybe, yes, it may be. You have “forgotten” so easily. You’re human any way. How you derided Jonathan. And made a dirty public show of him.

Yet, Tinubu happened to us again. This time, he came calling on a Monday, December 26, 2022. He was in the thick heat of his presidential electioneering. He thought he was in his best moment. Forever striving to be in firm control of his environment.

His praise-singers never tired of flaunting and touting him. They swear. He’s the only human “who knows the road.” Perhaps, that induced him. He beat his chest and roared: “By all means necessary, you must have electricity.

“And you will not pay for estimated bill anymore. A promise made, will be promise kept. If I don’t keep the promise and I come back for second term, don’t vote for me. That’s the truth. Unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t deliver.”

Oh yes! You have delivered. Electricity is being delivered to us in the form of countless national grid collapses. You have yielded Nigeria to the emerging “Okunkun Birimu Birimu (Pitch Darkness) Kingdom.   

What comes around goes around. Tinubu was adequately warned of a day like this. He didn’t take enough notice of it. He ignored that vital signal Yoruba elders sent to him in parable.

It was heavily coded. Poor him. He missed the message. He couldn’t decode it. The import failed to be captured on his radar.

You would wonder Tinubu is in their minds when Yoruba talk in parable: “Ìyàn ogun odún le jo eniyan lọ́wọ́.” AI-translated: “Pounded yam that’s 20 years old can still be so hot that it’s uncomfortable to touch while eating.”

Pity! This adage was lost on him completely. It fits his type and ilk. It tells it succinctly. Its profound essence: “Some things, no matter how long, remain unchanged or retain their intensity despite time passing.”

That’s exactly what’s playing out for Tinubu. If he had been cautious enough in his utterances. If he had searched. If he had been more meticulous and diligent. And considered the wise sayings of his kinsmen.

He would have looked well before he jumped. His 2014 and 2022 vomits wouldn’t have been violently thrown back at him. Now, haunting and hurting him. 

Yoruba are deep in depth and wide in breadth. Rich in idioms. Those high qualities stand them out. These proverbs define their Omoluabi mantra. And delineate Yoruba’s ways of life and values. This particular expression is germane. Especially in this very time of our need.

The reason we must keep reminding ourselves of this. It must not slip away from our lips. It’s a task that we must collectively and determinedly sustain. They will not want to hear this. But they must hear it all the time. And at all times.

Cry it loud. Shout it to high heavens. It’s Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC), that escalated the terror in the land. They will hate this truth. They brought in the Fulani jihadists-turned-terrorists, bandits.

Tinubu was the APC Leader when they struck the dastardly deal. A devilish deed. It is painful the evil way they did us in.

They conceptualised the idea. And together they executed it with cruelty. Importing deadly Fulani killers from Senegal, Mali, Niger, Chad, et al. To help railroad their Fulani kinsman, Muhammadu Buhari, into power.

From their eerie inner minds. They were convinced Jonathan would not willingly relinquish power. It was to be achieved via the 2015 elections. And so, it was.

Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje and Nasir El-Rufai. Are living evidence and proof. Ask them. Baraje was bold and honest enough to own up. He’s Fulani and Tafida of Ilorin, Kwara State.

He was done with them. And fed up with the deceit of our rulers. He parted ways with APC. He particularly let Pandora’s Box open in 2022. He gave us the gift at his 70th birthday bash in Ilorin.

After the elections, there was no battle to fight. Jonathan made that pleasantly possible. Despite winning, they were devastated, shattered, confused and perplexed.

Their satanic plan fell flat. It collapsed on their heads like a pack of loose cards. Their Fulani “assets” became liabilities. A colossal embarrassment.

The rest is a sordid, ugly history of violence, bloodbath, massacre and slaughter. The APC government since the time of Buhari. Even up to Tinubu’s. Has not uttered a word in response. Not by proxy or mistake. Mum and mute are their odd watchwords.

So? The best time is now. The finest hour is here with us. Tickling down rapidly into minutes, seconds. It’s the prime time to reflect, refresh. And interrogate our ruining rulers.

All of these and more must be brought to the public sphere. Their past deeds must come to scrutiny. They shouldn’t pass unquestioned, unexamined and uncross-examined. 

Let’s do the needful, fast. The time can’t be more appropriate than now.

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