Coalition of Selfish Ambitions: Are Nigerians Hungry Enough For Change

 Coalition of Selfish Ambitions: Are Nigerians Hungry Enough For Change

By Daniel Okonkwo 

Now that the political tables have turned against them, they want Nigerians to rise and fight their battles. But we will not be misled into a fight rooted in political survival disguised as patriotism. We know what these politicians are fighting for, and it’s not for us—it’s for their return to power.

Nigerian politics once again finds itself dominated by an alliance of elite interests an arrangement marketed as a “coalition” but engineered to preserve the privileges of a few. It's a pact “strictly for wealthy politicians who don’t care about ordinary Nigerians,” and many citizens share his unease, they form the coalition because they are not eating from the national cake.

Even though the country remains one of Africa’s largest economies by total output, the International Monetary Fund’s latest comparison of GDP per capita places Nigeria 12th from the bottom worldwide at just US$807, below conflict-torn South Sudan and Yemen.

Low average output translates into hardship on a vast scale: the World Bank estimates that 87 million Nigerians—38.9 percent of the population—lived below the national poverty line in 2023, the world’s second-largest poor population after India. Does Nigeria admit that it is hungry? Because if Nigerians are truly hungry enough, they will unseat these politicians—making life miserable for them by voting them out.

Annual inflation hovered above 33 percent through much of 2024, with food prices racing past 40 percent. The naira, barely ₦460 to the dollar when Muhammadu Buhari left office in May 2023, now trades in the ₦1,520–₦1,570 range despite periodic rallies. For households already squeezed by stagnant wages, each swing in the currency intensifies the daily struggle to buy food, medicine, or transport.

Speaking in Abuja last week, a former Governor delivered an unsparing critique of both leadership and citizenry:

> “Nigeria is the most docile society I’ve seen in my life. Any revolution without blood is a failure … The elites stealing Nigerian money are not up to 100,000, but you have 200 million Nigerians who can fight them. Yet you sit at home and grumble.”

He warned that, without “mass involvement and real sacrifice,” President Bola Tinubu would secure a second term in 2027, framing the next contest as “an election of Nigerians versus the bandits.”

But the question remains—will he lead the protest, or is he simply positioning himself for another political ambition?

giving prominence to his disillusionment, he confirmed he had resigned from the All Progressives Congress, saying he had “long distanced myself from their meetings” and was “surprised I wasn’t expelled earlier.” The former minister’s departure adds a high-profile name to an opposition bloc already courting other disaffected heavyweights.

> “People want Buhari back because things were better during his time. Look at the exchange rate. Then it was about ₦460 to a dollar; now it’s over ₦1,500.”

But nobody wants Buhari back—this sentiment appears to be coming from his desire, not from the collective will of Nigerians.

He pointed to the rising cost of living, worsening inflation, and hunger as evidence of the current government’s failure to prioritize the people, saying:

But Nigerians know this predicament did not start today—it began under the previous administration that he was part of.

This also explains why many voters view today’s elite coalition as a recycling of the same actors who presided over economic decline in the first place.

Are Nigerians Hungry Enough to Demand Change? The central question—posed repeatedly in conversations and on social media—is whether hardship has reached a tipping point that can translate into electoral power. The rhetoric is provocative, but it captures a broader frustration in a nation of more than 200 million. Only a few determine the fate of so many?

The answer may lie in institutional weakness. Labour federations once capable of paralysing government—NLC, ASUU, NANS—have struggled to mobilise beyond sporadic strikes, often fractured along ethnic or partisan lines. Student unions that energised earlier pro-democracy movements are less visible. Without organised channels for dissent, anger dissipates into online venting or localised protests that seldom reach critical mass.

Nigeria’s recent history shows that civic pressure, legal activism, and sustained voter engagement can achieve peaceful transitions. But civic engagement must move beyond despair. The real “radical shift” is not in the streets but in consistent voter registration, rigorous demand for policy debates, and turnout that overwhelms the machinery of vote-buying.

Nigeria is not condemned to permanent underperformance. Its demographic weight, entrepreneurial energy, and resource base remain formidable assets. Yet leadership that privileges self-enrichment over public service will keep millions in poverty. Whether Nigerians are “hungry enough” to unseat a greedy political class—and to replace it with accountable, visionary leaders—may well be decided between now and February 2027.

On a final note, who should Nigerians listen to? Should Nigerians take advice from a politician who was once part of the problem? These politicians now parading themselves as saints and saviors were once at the helm of power, fully capable of initiating meaningful change, but chose silence and self-interest because they were benefiting from the broken system.

We will not join their fight simply because of what they say. We know those who are genuinely fighting for Nigerians. We know them. When they call for our votes, we will give them.

Daniel Okonkwo is a seasoned writer, human rights advocate, and public affairs analyst. He is known for his thought-provoking articles on governance, justice, and social equity. Through Profile International Human Rights Advocate, he continues to spotlight issues affecting Nigeria and beyond, amplifying voices that demand accountability and reform.

Coalition of Selfish Ambitions: Are Nigerians Hungry Enough For Change