By David E. Monday
Suddenly, things begin to take shape. In recent weeks, the rhythm of governance in Nigeria has changed dramatically.
Ambassadorial lists, long delayed, are suddenly ready for release.
The National Security Adviser is addressing both Nigerian and foreign media.
The doctors’ strike has been called off. Reports of terrorists fleeing across borders are surfacing.
The Nigerian Army, once accused of inertia, is now freeing kidnapped citizens. Clearly, something or someone has shaken the corridors of power in Abuja.
Trump’s shadow and Tinubu’s sudden urgency
Let’s be frank, had former U.S.
President Donald J. Trump not sent those pointed diplomatic signals, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu might still be in Bayelsa, dancing and plotting 2027, while citizens groaned under the weight of hardship.
For nearly three years in office, President Tinubu avoided Washington. Then suddenly, he began lobbying desperately to meet Trump.
At first, sources alleged that Tinubu sought a meeting in the U.S. But Trump, known for his unapologetic bluntness, directed him to meet his Vice President, J.D. Vance.
Tinubu’s strategists, wary of the optics, cancelled the plan and claimed he would instead meet Trump at the G20 Summit in South Africa.
Then came the twist, Trump cancelled his G20 attendance.
Nigeria’s presidency was left embarrassed before the world.
“When foreign pressure triggers local action, it’s not leadership it’s political timidity and a crisis of sovereignty.”
The crisis of reactive governance.
This episode exposes a painful truth about governance in Nigeria, leadership too often moves only when pushed by foreign pressure.
When reform and responsibility depend on outside influence, it reflects a crisis of conscience at the very top.
True leadership is not reactive.
It does not wait for embarrassment or external warnings to act. It anticipates, decides, and delivers driven by conviction, not coercion. Nigeria deserves a President who governs from inner strength, not outward fear.
“A leader who acts only when the world is watching cannot lead a people who are suffering in silence.”
What Nigeria truly deserves
President Tinubu still has time to redefine his legacy. He can replace fear with courage, and optics with substance.
The Nigerian people need a leader who acts because it is right, not because it is convenient or politically expedient. Governance should not be a performance for foreign approval it should be an expression of loyalty to citizens’ welfare.
When a nation’s President is stirred to action only under external scrutiny, national pride erodes, and sovereignty becomes symbolic.
Nigeria deserves leaders who serve the people, not politics.
David E. Monday is a developmental journalist, political analyst, and media consultant based in Kaduna. He writes on governance, accountability, and leadership renewal in Nigeria.
