“If you wanna eat, you better join APC.” That’s not just street talk—it’s the new constitution.
Power Has Become Food—and Tinubu Holds the Kitchen Key
Nigeria has always flirted with authoritarianism. But under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that flirtation is turning into a forced marriage. His administration is not just running the country—it’s engineering a hunger-based compliance machine. Poverty is no longer a national tragedy; it’s a political tool. And it’s working too well.
Since assuming power, Tinubu has subtly transformed Nigeria into a transactional, hunger-powered regime where only those loyal to his party—the APC—get to “eat.” He hasn’t banned the opposition; he’s simply financially starved them into extinction.
The Gameplan: Starve, Bribe, Absorb
Here’s the pattern, clear as day:
Raise inflation.
Kill subsidies.
Let the naira bleed.
While this happens, only APC members get state contracts, federal appointments, access to palliatives, or bailouts.
What’s the result? Opposition governors and lawmakers defect in droves. Not because they believe in Tinubu. But because they want to eat. It’s not ideology—it’s survival.
Welcome to Tinubustan
Let’s not sugarcoat this: Nigeria is hurtling toward a de facto one-party state, a phenomenon political scientists call competitive authoritarianism. Except here, the competition is just for who can defect the fastest before the food runs out.
And the scariest part?
There’s no need to jail critics.
Just let them go hungry.
No need to rig elections—just control the INEC and fuel stations.
No need for violence—poverty is a more obedient enforcer.
The Long Game: Tinubu’s Real Endgame
Look past the noise, and it’s clear where Tinubu is taking this:
Absolute economic capture: If you control who eats, you control who talks.
Dismantling the opposition: Starve them, shame them, absorb them.
A dynasty play: Setting the groundwork for a post-Tinubu regime—likely orchestrated by loyalists or family.
He’s building a political architecture where even if he steps down in 2027 or 2031, the system he builds ensures continuity of APC’s dominance. Not by popularity. By hunger.
Silencing Dissent by Making It Starve
Look at the recent waves of media houses “softening” their headlines. Look at the governors, senators, and even traditional rulers making pilgrimages to Abuja, pledging allegiance like feudal lords in exchange for federal crumbs.
It’s not just political control—it’s psychological warfare.Dissent has been priced out of the market.
Where Is Nigeria Headed?
If this trend continues—and all signs show it will—expect the following by 2027:
One-party dominance, with APC controlling federal and most state governments.
Elections as rituals, not contests.
A press that self-censors for survival.
Youth disillusionment, leading to either mass migration or civil unrest.
And eventually… a return to military-era fear, just under civilian clothing.
This Is How Democracies Die—By Starvation, Not Gunfire
It won’t be coups. It won’t be tanks on the streets. It’ll be inflation, subsidy removal, and starvation.
Tinubu isn’t just weaponizing poverty. He’s industrializing it.He doesn’t need to outlaw opposition. He’s pricing them out of existence.
- Nigeria’s democracy isn’t collapsing with a bang.It’s choking on an empty stomach.
