By Idowu Ephraim Faleye

Over the years, Nigeria has had chances to be great. We have had opportunities to turn around the fortune of our country. But each time, we missed it. Not because we lacked the right leaders, but because we allowed selfish interests, and dark forces to stop those leaders from taking us to where we should be. And sadly, we are still paying the price for those mistakes today.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo was one of those missed opportunities. Among all his political contemporaries, no one came close to him in terms of knowledge, intelligence, and the wisdom needed to govern a nation like Nigeria. The development of the old Western Region during his time is still being talked about today. His financial strategies during the Nigerian Civil War also proved how sound his mind was. He had a clear vision for Nigeria, a mind prepared to lead, and the courage to make bold decisions. But dark forces truncated his chance to become president. He was blocked by a ground conspiracy that saw his brilliance as a threat. Nigeria did not want his wisdom to touch the whole nation. That loss is still haunting the nation. Today, we are far behind many Asian countries that started development around the same time as us. Awolowo was declared the best president Nigeria never had, but by then, he was already dead. The damage was done.

Then came Chief MKO Abiola. Another brilliant man. An accountant by profession who built a successful financial empire. He was not just rich; he had global connections that can turn around the fortune of the country and a kind heart. He wanted to serve. He wanted to move Nigeria forward. And the people loved him. Nigerians across tribe, religion, and region voted for him. It was a rare moment of unity. But again, dark forces struck. They refused to allow him rule. The same type of people who denied Awolowo came back, stronger and even more brutal. Abiola was stopped, detained, and later died in custody. Another golden opportunity wasted.

What these two leaders had in common was that they were strong, prepared, and determined to lift Nigeria. But they were blocked by those who feared that their leadership would end the backward system that benefits a few at the expense of millions. These people would rather watch Nigeria remain underdeveloped than lose their control over the system. And each time they won, Nigeria lost.

Now, once again, we are at a crossroad. Another leader with the capacity, vision, and courage is on the seat of power. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also known as Asiwaju, is not a perfect man, but he is a rare one. He is bold, smart, and strategic. And just like Awolowo and Abiola, he is now facing the same kind of resistance. The same dark forces have come out again. They are trying to make Nigerians see his bold reforms as failures. They are shouting so loud that many ordinary Nigerians cannot even see the real picture. But we must not be fooled again. We must not allow history to repeat itself.

Asiwaju Tinubu is a man whose journey speaks for itself. As Governor of Lagos State, he did what many thought was impossible. He took a chaotic and disorganized Lagos and began to shape it into a modern city. His administration built roads, improved schools, reformed the tax system, and attracted investments. Under him, Lagos became a model that other states copied. He increased the state’s Internally Generated Revenue without waiting endlessly for federal allocations. He stood against the central government when it mattered most, defending democracy and rule of law. He laid the foundation that made Lagos what it is today.

Tinubu’s government in Lagos proved one thing clearly: he has the ability to lead and make things work. He knows how to build a team, set a vision, and pursue it despite resistance. He is not the kind of leader that gets carried away with praise. He focuses on results. And now, as president, he has started that same journey on a national scale.

Of course, the country is going through a difficult time. But those who understand governance know that transformation is not always comfortable at the beginning. His subsidy removal, forex unification, and other economic reforms may be hard for now, but they are necessary if Nigeria will be truly free from economic manipulation and dependency. Tinubu is taking tough decisions that many past leaders feared to take. And the reason he is being attacked is because some people know that if he succeeds, their control over Nigeria will finally end.

These people have built their empires around Nigeria’s weaknesses. They do not want a strong and independent Nigeria. They prefer a country that is always begging, always struggling, always divided, and always easy to control. But Tinubu’s reforms are threatening that. He is pushing for a Nigeria that can stand on its feet. And that is why they are doing everything to stop him.

They want him to fail not because they love Nigeria, but because they hate what his success would mean. They fear that a successful Tinubu government would finally break the chains of poverty, corruption, and political manipulation that they have used to hold this nation down. They fear that his leadership will open the eyes of Nigerians to what is truly possible.

Among all the people claiming to be the solution to Nigeria’s problem, none of them has the experience and the capacity that Tinubu has. He has fought battles and won. He has built people and institutions. He has survived betrayals and come out stronger. He is not learning on the job. He is not making promises from the outside. He is inside the system, taking action. And that makes a big difference.

Tinubu is not new to resistance. He has always fought against established powers that tried to suppress progress. He did it in Lagos, and he is doing it now in Abuja. For instance, in the history of Nigeria’s electricity sector, it was Tinubu who first broke the monopoly of NEPA by inviting a private company called ERON to build an Independent Power Plant (IPP) for Lagos State. That single move changed the game. It showed that he was willing to challenge old ways and open up opportunities for innovation and development.

If Nigeria will move forward, we must stop this cycle of starting over. Leadership is not magic. It takes time, vision, and continuity. What Tinubu has started must be allowed to grow. Ending his government in 2027 would be another disaster. It would throw us back into confusion. It would waste all the sacrifices being made today. And worse, it would allow those same selfish forces to return with their destructive agenda.

Nigeria needs to build institutions, not just elect personalities. And that means we must allow a good reformer to complete his work. Tinubu needs time to implement and solidify his policies. We have seen what cutting short the vision of a good leader has done to us in the past. We must not go that way again.

This is not about tribe or religion. It is not about political party. It is about national interest. It is about our children and their future. It is about breaking free from the repeated mistakes that have kept us poor in the midst of plenty. It is about saying never again to wasted opportunities. If we truly want to see a better Nigeria, then we must fight for the continuity of the Tinubu government beyond 2027.

It is time we understand that no miracle will fix Nigeria in one term. What we need is consistency. We need policies that are not abandoned halfway. We need a leader that is not distracted by noise but is focused on nation building. We need to rise above sentiments and support progress.

Yes, there will be pain. Yes, the road will not be smooth. But that is how real change happens. And that is why we must be patient. We must defend the gains being made. We must challenge the lies and propaganda being spread. We must open our eyes to the bigger picture.

This is not just Tinubu’s fight. It is our fight. It is a fight for a better future. It is a fight for dignity. It is a fight for economic independence. It is a fight against those who want Nigeria to remain in darkness.

We have lost Awolowo. We have lost Abiola. We must not lose Tinubu. If we lose him, we may not get another chance for a very long time. Nigeria cannot afford to keep moving in circles. We must break the chain.

We must support Tinubu not just to finish his term, but to continue beyond 2027. Because the work he has started must not stop. It must continue until it becomes irreversible. That is how nations grow.

We cannot let fear and propaganda deceive us again. We cannot be used against our own future. We cannot allow the enemies of Nigeria to succeed again. This time, we must fight back. Not with guns, but with our voices, our votes, and our unity.

Let us fight for continuity. Let us fight for progress. Let us fight for the soul of our nation. Because if we lose this chance again, the tears may never stop flowing.

From The Table Of
Ayomide Odegbami ( aka Big Daddy ).