Tinubu has become an absolute monarch on whose mandate all officials stand, says Bishop Onah
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Enugu State, Bishop Godfrey Onah, has accused President Bola Tinubu of concentrating excessive power in the presidency, describing him as an emperor whose authority, he alleged, has become the basis on which judges, lawmakers and other political officeholders operate.
Onah said Nigeria’s democracy had deteriorated into what he described as a combination of plutocracy and kleptocracy, where political power was increasingly concentrated in the hands of wealthy individuals and those who exploit public office for personal gain.
The bishop, who expressed concern over the state of the country’s democratic institutions, said elected officials in the ruling party no longer appeared to derive their authority from the people who voted for them but from the President.
“Today, nobody in the ruling party believes he’s holding the mandate of the people. All of them say they are standing on the mandate of the President, whose own mandate is questionable and still being contested,” he said.
According to him, the development represents a fundamental departure from democratic principles, under which elected representatives are expected to be accountable to the electorate rather than to the individual occupying the presidency.
He argued that even political appointees derive their authority from those who appointed them, but insisted that elected officials should be answerable to the people who gave them their mandate.
“Any politically appointed officer is standing on the mandate of the person who appointed him. But if you have been chosen by your people, why are they all now standing on the mandate of the President?” he queried.
Onah alleged that Tinubu had become an absolute monarch whose authority was no longer effectively restrained by the institutions constitutionally empowered to check the excesses of the executive.
“Because the President has become an absolute monarch, an emperor who is not controlled by anybody or by any forces,” he said.
He questioned the independence and effectiveness of the judiciary and the National Assembly, arguing that institutions expected to provide checks and balances had also become subject to the President’s influence.
The bishop equally criticised the relationship between the presidency, state governors and local government chairmen, describing governors as the President’s “satraps” and local government chairmen as field officers and political foot soldiers of governors.
He wondered whether genuine democracy could thrive in a political environment where elected officials appeared more accountable to political superiors than to the electorate.
“What we call democracy now in Nigeria is the most corrupt form of what I call plutocracy and kleptocracy,” Onah said.
“Plutocracy is the reign of those who have money, while kleptocracy is the rule of thieves. That is what we have in Nigeria today.”
The Catholic bishop also expressed doubts about the possibility of free and fair elections in 2027, arguing that developments in recent local government elections and political party primaries did not inspire confidence in the electoral process.
“Everybody is saying we want free and fair elections in 2027. It will not happen now. The signs are everywhere,” he declared.
He challenged those expressing optimism about credible elections in 2027 to examine the conduct of recent local government election in Enugu State, questioning the level of political competition and the opportunity given to opposition parties.
Onah alleged that the winners were not freely chosen by the people.
“They were all tele-guided, not even one single councillor was chosen by the people, let alone local government chairman,” he said.
He maintained that the credibility of future general elections would remain in doubt if democratic processes at the grassroots continued to be undermined.
