As a Nigerian, I write this with a heavy heart not out of hatred, but out of deep frustration, sorrow, and a cry for change. The recent death of former President Muhammadu Buhari has triggered widespread reactions across the country, and let’s not pretend, many Nigerians are celebrating, not out of disrespect for the dead, but because of the pain and suffering they endured during his administration.
Under Buhari, we witnessed things we never imagined could happen in a nation blessed with so much potential. Insecurity, hunger, mass killings, economic collapse, and gross unemployment defined his legacy for many. Hope was crushed, and trust in leadership was broken.
But what is most heartbreaking today is that the suffering under President Tinubu has multiplied. Nigerians are not just crying we are wailing. What Buhari did in eight years, Tinubu has magnified in just over a year. The cost of living is insane. Food prices change weekly. Transportation is unaffordable. Fuel subsidy removal, while economically justified by some, has left the average Nigerian stranded. Electricity tariffs are unbearable. Minimum wage is a joke, and the naira is practically worthless.
This is not governance; this is punishment.
If Nigerians could celebrate the death of a past president who they feel failed them, then imagine the reaction if this current suffering continues under Tinubu. It will be loud, it will be brutal, and it will echo beyond our borders. That is not something to be proud of it’s a warning to all Nigerian leaders.
Our leaders must understand this: You are not gods. You are public servants. And your actions or inactions are writing your legacies in the minds of millions who are living each day in pain.
We are tired. Tired of hearing promises while our stomachs are empty. Tired of being told to be patient while our lives are falling apart. Tired of being treated like animals in our own land.
Let this be a wake-up call. Nigerians are no longer afraid to speak the truth, and soon, they will no longer be afraid to act. The people are watching, hurting, and waiting and when they rise, no amount of propaganda will silence their voice.
May those in power choose justice and mercy over greed and wickedness. Because the day of reckoning always comes.
A Nigerian in Pain.
By: Godwin Offor
