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TINUBU IS DETACHED FROM THE SUFFERING OF ORDINARY NIGERIANS – EX-SENATOR
Usman Bugaje, a former senator who represented the Jibia/Kaita Federal Constituency in the National Assembly has lashed out at President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, Tinubu may be completely surrounded by sycophants shielding him from the harsh realities Nigerians are facing.
Bugaje spoke on Thursday during Channels Television’s special Democracy Day programme titled ‘Nigeria’s Democratic Journey: An Inter-Generational Conversation on Building a Better Nation,’ commemorating 26 years of unbroken democratic rule in Nigeria.
The political activist criticised Tinubu’s leadership style, claiming the President is detached from the suffering of ordinary Nigerians but would probably be ashamed of himself if he knew about the situation in the country.
He said, “It looks like the President has been completely encircled by sycophants. They don’t allow him to see the realities, they don’t tell him the truth. But if he knew what was happening in society, he would be ashamed of himself. As far as I know him, I never thought he would allow this situation.
“He is now there, wallowing in the comfort of the Villa, talking in ways that show he doesn’t even know what is happening in this country. If he knew, he would not be doing the kind of things he’s doing now.”
Speaking further, Bugaje expressed concern that Nigeria’s democracy, in its current form, had failed to serve its core purpose of uplifting the people and ensuring their welfare.
The former legislator added that Nigerians were no longer swayed by polished speeches but were demanding tangible results.
He stated, “We have now graduated from just listening to speeches that are meant to be politically correct and sound good. What we are interested in is not the speech, but the action — the policies, the way the government is run. That is what will change the lives of the ordinary people.
“Democracy is about people, designed to serve the people. The real question is: are the people being served?” he asked, adding that, “the political economy we are running now is impoverishing the people”.
Bugaje also highlighted the helplessness of many citizens who have suffered at the hands of insecurity and economic hardship, pointing to the stories of kidnap victims, unemployed youth, and struggling small business owners.
He added, “What do you say to people whose relatives have been taken by bandits? They’ve sold everything just to get them back — now they have no land to farm, no house to live in, no money to start any business. It’s as if we don’t have a government.
“Ask the young man who has struggled through university, waiting five to ten years for a job that doesn’t exist. Ask the small business owners how they’re surviving — electricity bills are soaring, there’s no power, no profit.
“Look at the man driving a keke NAPEP — he can’t even make ends meet. What kind of economy is this? What kind of democracy?”
