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Bishop Dr Joseph Ighalo Edoro, Edo State-born cleric and public affairs commentator, is an advocate of good governance. In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, he speaks on some current issues in the polity, including the rallying together of the opposition forces under the African Democratic Congress (ADC): Excerpt:
Two years into the current administration, a lot of talks are going on over the 2027 elections. Since the elections are two years away, don’t you think this is unusual?
Yes, a lot of talks are going on over the 2027 elections. It is not unusual. Funny enough, it started from the day of the inauguration of this presidency and it is not akin to this presidency alone.. It is customary with democracies all around the world to hit the ground running. The only breakpoint is that while in other democratic climes, time is allotted to impress the populace with the dividends in view of fulfilling at least a fragment of their promises and manifestos. But, politicians in Nigeria rather engage in ensuring they remain in power. The consequence is that the people suffer. The reason for this is to retain power and their quest for pecuniary gains. Would it not have been better to prove their mettle in the ways of policy and administration and implementation that will hitherto, compel the people to vote them in a second time. For God’s sake, if you do well the people will applaud you and vote you in again. However, if politicians combine good works with early planning and implementation, that will generate a lot of positive response from the people. It would have been a better option.
A lot of Nigerians are divided over the coming together of the opposition forces against the ruling party under the African Democratic Congress (ADC). How do you see this development?
The true admiration of the democratic institution is enshrined in the demonstrations of the opposition arm. Democracy is about inclusivity, ideology, freedom of expression, as well as, freedom to navigate from one ideology to the other. That is why we say, howbeit, there is no opposition in Nigeria. In a democratic setting, the opposition takes the form of fighting for the less privileged vis-a-vis policies and their implementation by the party in power. Sadly, enough the opposition in Nigeria is extinct. The opposition is supposed to be the organ that puts the check on the government in power. But, sadly, it is not so. Look at the United Kingdom. Take the historical antecedent of the opposition. Look at Kemi Badenoch and see the strength of the opposition. Now, in Nigeria, a few people are coming together to form another party and they are crossing to the ADC from the PDP and maybe from other parties. That is fine for democracy. However, what do they have to offer? Are they bothered about opposition, or the true essence of the liberation of our people? No! They are all a bundle of men with inordinate ambitions. They are not out to alleviate the suffering of the masses, but to sustainably widen the gap between the rich and the poor. So, the fact is that they are free to register as a party, yet, look at them. They are all friends who had missed out on power sharing. It is sad though.
Many believe that the ADC coalition is going nowhere. Do you see it as being able to defeat President Bola Tinubu and the APC in 2027?
The issue is not whether I see the ADC winning or defeating the APC. The APC is coming to the table with a huge advantage. Let me explain it in simple terms. Right now, take or leave it, the APC has fallen out of favour with the populace. Truth must be told. The APC seems to have failed in many areas and in the process, the groaning of the people has escalated. There is suffering in the land. There is too much suffering in the land. There is no good and affordable health care. No good roads. Food is expensive and scarce. There is no energy, leading to skyrocketed costs. The cost of gasoline is high. The minimum wage cannot be equated with daily living. Families are crying, Nigerians are dying of hunger and insecurity and many more. But, let me tell you something, the President has the knife and the yam. Imagine he rewrites these wrongs before the election? What do you think will happen? Nigerians do not need much. As long as there are affordable basic amenities, they will vote for him. Again, I see the president using this as a masterstroke. Before the elections, I see him using his office to alleviate the suffering of the people. If he does not, it will be O.Y.O (On Your Own) for him and his party in 2027.
Many Nigerians have predicted that the opposition coalition under ADC will encounter several challenges in actualising its main aim of taking over power from the ruling party. What do you consider the major challenges it will encounter?
The problem with the coalition is that they are all the same faces and the same people. They are a set of people who want to take over power because they were skimmed out. They are a set of people still in power through the backdoor. So, Nigerians are not interested in the coalition. Tinubu knows this.
Apart from the APC and the emerging ADC coalition, do you think Nigerians have any other alternative to choose from come 2027?
You remember I gave a prophecy that the Nigerian state will be driven into one party state. Who are those in ADC? The only alternative Nigerians have is God and God using Tinubu, who has not remembered the poor, to remember them. Who will you depend on? Look at it now! The youths are suffering. There are no jobs. Most of them have now channelled their talents unto those things that are inimical to better ideals. The Nigerian youths are so badly neglected. Again, that is a time-bomb ticking. I only pray that God will touch the heart of this president. I heard he had always been kind to the poor. So, what happened now? God will take away all his bad advisers, because, as it stands, we will continue to remain where we are.
Some Northern political elite have accused President Bola Tinubu of marginalising the region. What is your take on this?
Marginalisation did not start today in Nigeria or with the Tinubu era. There is marginalisation everywhere; the North, the South, East and West. The cry is borne out of exclusivity. That is the problem. Even the Yoruba nation is still fighting for self actualisation, even when a Yoruba man is the president. There will always be agitations and the quest for self actualisation of ethnic sovereignty as long as we still operate this constitution. The constitution is the problem. Restructuring does not mean throwing away this constitution, but, every ethnic nationality must be included for equity purposes. For now, this constitution is lopsided. This is the reason for the cry of marginalisation.
President Bola Tinubu has been accused of being nepotistic in appointments and projects in favour of the South West to the detriment of the other regions. Do you think the accusation is true?
That President Tinubu has been nepotistic over appointments? I would say ‘yes’. But, I look at it from a different direction? Did he meet ethnic imbalance in view of appointments when he took over from Buhari? Was there anyone more nepotistic than Mr. Buhari? Now, in the Nigerian culture, bedeviled by tribalism, what do you expect? Yes, there is this agitation over nepotism. I know and have heard of it and seen it. Yet, wait a minute, it is a cultural administrative pattern. Should he correct it? Yes. But, to totally blame him, I won’t. The only area suffering severely is the Eastern Region. I think they should not be alienated. Lastly on this, is to call on the president to look at this point and evenly spread appointments. He is for all Nigerians. I think, if you look more into new appointments, he seems to have changed a lot. The North is feeling sad because their votes were more and had given Tinubu his victory. However, in the previous administration under Buhari, the North enjoyed the same, with more appointments going to them without anyone making a fuss about it. Yes, there were protests about this under Mr. Buhari, but he kept a deaf ear, appointing his people to the detriment of other sections of Nigeria.
With the way the current administration is borrowing, do you think there is hope for Nigerians?
Well, Nigeria has borrowed too much. Where are they going to get the money to pay back? I pity the younger and coming generations. As of 2025, domestic and foreign debts have crossed the N100 trillion mark. This is not only sad but also calamitous. If there are visible signs in infrastructure and the well-being of the people, that will be fine. But, no! The reverse is the case. All we need to do now is to continually pray for Nigeria and the president that God who controls the heart of kings, who put Mr. President in power, should tough his heart to see the plight and suffering of the people.
