Chief Ayo Opadokun, general secretary of the National Democratic Coalition, said Thursday that President Bola Tinubu cannot be expected to undo decades of misgovernance within three years, noting that Nigeria’s deep-rooted challenges predate the current administration.
Opadokun spoke at the launch of his book, The Gun Hegemony, at the MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos, where he reflected on Nigeria’s political history and the lasting influence of military rule. The event was attended by representatives of President Tinubu, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, and other dignitaries.
“The military governed for the first time for 13 years, from 1966 to 1979. In their second coming, they governed for 16 years. That makes 29 years in uniform. When we forced them back to the barracks, they imposed their former commanders-in-chief on us again in the name of Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari. That is another 16 years, making a total of 44 years,” Opadokun said.
He added that including civilian administrations led by Shehu Shagari, Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria has effectively been governed by the same political tendency for about 57 of its 66 years of independence.
“Some people don’t have the broadmindedness to appreciate that when people rule for such a long period, they are entrenched in all corporate institutions. Their minions, surrogates, loyalists and sympathisers remain in charge,” he said.
Opadokun argued that blaming Tinubu for Nigeria’s current challenges ignores the historical context of military domination and its enduring legacy.
“Some people, for reasons best known to them, either deliberately or feigning ignorance, blame Bola Tinubu for everything in the world,” he said.
On economic reforms, Opadokun defended Tinubu’s tax policies as a step toward fiscal federalism, saying they are aimed at correcting long-standing injustices in the system.
“Whether people like it or not, it will succeed. Only public servants who earn little pay tax in Nigeria, while those making the money dodge and bribe revenue officers. He has tried to right that wrong, and some people don’t like it,” he said.
He also acknowledged Nigeria’s worsening security situation but said it should be viewed within both local and international contexts, particularly developments in the Sahel region.
“The current situation is unwarranted and shows that our security architecture is unfit for now. But you must know the circumstances within which this is happening… This country has been misgoverned for too long; it will not take three years for it to be righted,” he said.
Opadokun also revisited the January 15, 1966 coup and its aftermath, questioning the military’s role and the decisions of the late Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi. He urged scholars and observers to examine the long-term consequences of military rule on Nigeria’s political development.
