I Don’t Believe We Have A Government In Nigeria — ADC Chieftain

By: Sunday Ameh

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Chief Ibini Oyedele, has expressed concern over the state of governance in Nigeria, declaring that he no longer believes the country has a functioning government, even as he applauded the peaceful conduct of his party’s primary elections in the Southern Senatorial District.

Chief Oyedele made the remark yesterday while speaking after the ADC concluded its primaries for Senate, House of Representatives, and State House of Assembly positions, which he said produced candidates through consensus arrangements.

In an interview with Starnews NG, he said the process was peaceful and successful, leading to the emergence of credible candidates capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“When asked about the performance of the current government under President Bola Tinubu, he said, “I don’t believe we have a government in Nigeria. There is no safety of life and property anymore in Nigeria at all. The ultimate function of a democratically elected government is to ensure the safety of the people and their property. But this APC is far from it. All those bad things are happening now in Nigeria.

“Our economy is in shambles. The ratio of naira to dollar or pound sterling is nothing to write home about. Talk of banditry, talk of kidnapping, talk of terrorism. All are present everywhere in Nigeria, even in the southwest. Now, the people in Ogbomoso cannot sleep. Even in Ekiti, they kidnapped the vice chairman of a local government in the kitchen.

“And the government is not doing anything about it. We are fed up. People are hungry. You cannot eat what you like; you can only eat what you see. The school fees are skyrocketing. Imagine children paying for replacement examinations. This is alarming. I’ve never seen it in my life. You can’t travel freely. You travel with fear. You have to pray.

“You have to go to the mountain and pray before you travel anywhere. This is very, very bad. And our government is not doing anything. What about stealing and corruption? In the government circle, this is very high. Governments are not responsible for anything,” Oyedele said while expressing dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in Nigeria.

When confronted with whether the ADC is a strong opposition that could unseat the ruling APC government, he said, “And when you are talking about maybe there’s a strong opposition to APC, there is a terrible strong opposition. The first are the electorate, who are terribly waiting for them. The electorate is waiting for them. This is not the issue of any political party; it is APC versus the Nigerian electorate.

“The electorate will show them pepper because people are dissatisfied with them. People are suffering. I wish you were in Nigeria; you would see suffering in the faces of everybody. The government is borrowing money every day.

“They declared this fuel subsidy. People thought that if they removed it, there would be enough money for the government to run the affairs of the country. The reverse is the case. We are now buying a liter of fuel above N1,000,” he lamented.

Despite criticism of the APC government, he praised his party’s internal process, especially in Ondo South of Ondo State, saying the primaries were conducted in a transparent and orderly manner.

“We had our primaries today for the House of Representatives and for the Senate, and it went very, very smoothly. Strong people and strong candidates were produced by our party to face the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC,” he said.

The ADC chieftain explained that candidates across constituencies within the Southern Senatorial District of the state emerged through consensus, a process he said strengthened unity and prevented internal division.

“From my own immediate constituency and throughout the Southern Senatorial District, things went smoothly through consensus,” he stated.

Speaking on the senatorial primary, Oyedele disclosed that former Senator Nicholas Tofowomo emerged as the party’s consensus candidate for the Southern Senatorial District.

He described Tofowomo as a politician whose previous tenure left a lasting impact on the people through empowerment and constituency projects.

“The senator we produced through consensus is our former senator, Senator Nicholas Tofowomo. He came unopposed through consensus and everybody jubilated. We are happy because he already has a name throughout the Southern Senatorial District,” he said.

According to him, the former lawmaker’s achievements while in office distinguished him among previous occupants of the seat.

“During his tenure, empowerment was noticed significantly across the district. For the first time, people came to realize that a senator can truly deliver dividends of democracy like what Senator Nicholas did during his tenure,” Oyedele added.

Expressing confidence in Tofowomo’s chances, he said party members believe the former senator would perform even better if given another opportunity.

“We know as a second-term senator, if elected, he will perform more. We have confidence in him and much belief in his capacity,” he said.

On the House of Representatives primary in Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency, Oyedele said party stakeholders agreed to produce a candidate from Ode-Aye through consensus in line with political arrangements within the constituency.

He explained that the decision was guided by fairness and zoning considerations.

“We decided to pick Olumide Omosuyi because we believe the House of Representatives position should come to Okitipupa Local Government, and when it comes to Okitipupa, it is the turn of Ode-Aye,” he said.

Describing the candidate, he added, “He is tested and trusted. He is a pillar of the party and a very strong personality.” According to him, the candidate has built a reputation as an engineer and philanthropist who has positively impacted lives across the constituency. “He has been helping people, and he came through consensus,” he said.

For Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, Oyedele said Prince Edema Olubenga also emerged as the party’s consensus candidate.

Oyedele also disclosed that candidates for the State House of Assembly emerged through consensus arrangements across various constituencies and wards.

Party faithful who attended the exercise expressed optimism that the consensus process would foster unity within the party and strengthen its chances in future elections.