Professor Udenta O. Udenta, a political theorist and former founding member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of abandoning governance to pursue an aggressive strategy of political dominance ahead of the 2027 general election. Speaking in Naija Unfiltered podcast by Symfoni, Udenta said the government has become preoccupied with weakening and dismantling opposition platforms instead of addressing Nigeria’s deepening insecurity, economic hardship, and rising religious tensions.
According to him, the administration’s every move has been structured around retaining power in 2027, often at the expense of policy direction, foreign relations and national stability. “This government is intellectually challenged. It is intellectually bankrupt,” Udenta stated. “The president and his team are not focused on governance. Their priority is how to weaken and collapse PDP, Labour Party and every other platform so that by 2027 only one political force is left standing. The government has dropped the ball.”
Udenta also reacted to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent re-designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged Christian persecution. He explained that while Trump’s language may appear provocative, it is a deliberate messaging technique aimed at forcing governments to confront humanitarian and religious concerns. He warned, however, that the situation must not be allowed to escalate into a Christian-versus-Muslim national identity conflict. “Trump’s language is always extreme, but it is strategic. He pushes you to wake up. He signals: take action or consequences will follow. But we must be careful not to weaponize faith or allow external pressure to inflame internal divisions. If this crisis is framed as Christians versus Muslims, it will tear the country apart. We must breathe and build common ground.”
Udenta criticized what he described as the collapse of Nigeria’s foreign policy and diplomatic engagements, noting that the government allowed the country to remain without ambassadors for nearly two years at a time when global partners were raising critical concerns about insecurity and displacement in the North Central states. He also faulted the absence of a coordinated national security response to recurring violence in Plateau, Benue and Kaduna. “We have not seen governance. We have not seen strategic security deployment. We have not seen foreign policy engagement. What we are seeing is a narrow, power-retention project,” he said.
He urged President Tinubu to shift focus away from 2027 politics and immediately roll out decisive governance measures. These, he said, should include appointing ambassadors, convening a national emergency security council, and mobilizing interfaith leadership to calm rising religious tensions. “Verbal statements are not enough. Policy must match rhetoric. The president must roll up his sleeves and lead. The country is drifting,” Udenta warned.
Udenta concluded that Nigeria stands at a delicate crossroads, and the consequences of continued political self-interest over national priority could be severe, both domestically and in the eyes of the international community
