They took the cry of Nigerians to the president. They returned with an answer that should worry us all.
The Catholic Bishops didn’t go to Aso Rock seeking contracts.
They didn’t go lobbying for appointments.
They didn’t go “standing on any mandate.”
They went carrying the pain of millions of Nigerians.
They said Nigerians are hungry.
The answer? “There has always been hunger.”
They said the economy is crushing ordinary families.
The answer? “The economy is doing well.”
They expressed concerns about public confidence in INEC.
The answer? “INEC is neutral.”
They worried about whether the next election would offer a level playing field.
The answer? “Whoever wants power should be ready to wrestle for it.”
And immediately, my mind went to Rehoboam.
The people begged him to reduce their suffering.
The elders pleaded with him: “Listen to your people.”
His loyalists told him: “Show them who’s boss.”
He listened to the loyalists.
He ignored the people.
The result?
A kingdom that took generations to build split in a single day.
The people walked away shouting:
“To your tents, O Israel!” (1 Kings 12:16)
Every government should fear one thing more than criticism:
The day it stops listening.
The greatest threat to any president is not the opposition.
It is the army of professional cheerleaders who tell him that everything is working while the people are telling a different story.
A nation cannot be governed by applause.
Propaganda cannot fill empty stomachs.
Slogans cannot reduce the cost of living.
And praise-singers cannot rewrite reality.
History is littered with leaders who mistook loyalty for truth.
May President Tinubu never become another Rehoboam, surrounded by people who protect his ego while exposing his legacy.
Because when leaders stop listening, history starts speaking.
