Democracy's rules, federalism's test and the war for Nigeria's peace
Last week was another moment in the long, unfolding theatre of governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It was a week in which the President moved from one gathering to
Last week was another moment in the long, unfolding theatre of governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It was a week in which the President moved from one gathering to another, but the significance of those meetings went far beyond the rituals of officialdom. In truth, the week revealed three themes that have increasingly come to define the Tinubu presidency: the defense of democracy, the strengthening of federalism, and the determination to defeat insecurity.
Yet among the many engagements that filled the President's calendar, one moment stood out more than the rest. It was Wednesday evening at the State House when leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee and executives of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) gathered with him for an interfaith dinner marking the Muslim Ramadan and Christian Lenten seasons.
In that room, President Tinubu did something that seasoned politicians often avoid. He confronted a rising pattern in Nigerian politics; the tendency of opposition actors to challenge the very rules of democracy whenever outcomes appear unfavourable.
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The immediate issue was the recently passed Electoral Act amendment, which had triggered protests and demands for further changes from several political parties. But Tinubu was not interested in opening another round of political bargaining. Instead, he used the moment to return the conversation to the fundamentals of democracy itself.
For him, democracy is not merely a system of periodic elections. It is a framework governed by rules, and those rules must command obedience from all participants.
“I'm glad we are all democrats and we all subscribed to this democracy voluntarily. The rule of law must prevail in any democracy. Majority will have their say and their way, and minority will have their say and might not have their way. That is the sweetness, the essence of democracy”, the President told his guests.
In those few sentences, Tinubu distilled the philosophy that has guided his political journey for decades. His words carried particular weight because they came from a man whose own career was forged in the crucible of political struggle.
He reminded the gathering that democracy in Nigeria did not emerge effortlessly. Many who now occupy the political stage paid dearly for its restoration.
“We went to detention, we protested, we had street hunger, we went on exile,” he recalled, invoking the years of resistance against military rule and the pro-democracy struggles that ultimately birthed the Fourth Republic.
That experience, Tinubu suggested, is precisely why the principles of democracy must never be trivialised.
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He explained that when the Electoral Act amendment was presented to him after passage by the National Assembly, his duty as President was clear. The bill had been approved by an overwhelming majority of elected legislators. To reject it without compelling constitutional grounds would have plunged the country into unnecessary turmoil.
“That I signed the Electoral Act, I had no choice. I don't want to throw the country into turmoil of argument. There was an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly that passed the law. I submitted myself to the principle of rule of law and democracy. I signed, the rest is history. We'll meet at the polls”, he said plainly.
In essence, Tinubu was reminding the opposition of a truth that democratic politics often obscures: elections are the ultimate arena of contest, not endless agitation over legal processes already concluded.
But the President's defense of democratic principles was only one part of the week's broader message.
Two days later, another interfaith dinner at the State House produced a different but equally consequential conversation. This time, the guests were leaders of Nigeria's media industry, executives of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON).
For decades, the Nigerian press has focused its scrutiny overwhelmingly on the Federal Government. Tinubu did not dismiss that tradition; after all, he admitted that reading newspapers remains a daily habit he cannot abandon.
But he used the opportunity to redirect attention to a structural imbalance in the nation's governance conversation.
Nigeria, he reminded the media leaders, is a federal republic. That means governance does not reside solely in Abuja.
Recent reforms, including the financial autonomy secured for local governments, have changed the landscape of public accountability. For the first time in many years, councils across the country now receive their allocations directly.
“We've opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money. But how they use it is in your hands. Don't bombard me alone; look out to the local government too”, Tinubu told the media executives. It was both a challenge and an invitation.
If Nigeria must truly practice federalism, then scrutiny must extend beyond the Presidency to the states and local councils where many of the services that directly affect citizens are delivered.
In other words, the success of the reforms initiated in Abuja will ultimately depend on how responsibly other tiers of government deploy their resources.
Yet governance is never only about structures and institutions. It is also about the everyday realities of citizens, and in Nigeria today, no concern weighs more heavily on the national psyche than security.
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Earlier in the week, during another interfaith gathering with traditional rulers and leaders of the Christian and Muslim faiths, Tinubu addressed that concern directly.
He did not pretend that the country's security challenges had disappeared. Instead, he acknowledged the intensity of the struggle and the desperation of violent groups attempting to destabilise communities across the country.
But he also delivered a message of confidence.
“Yes, we are challenged. The terrorists are desperate because they are getting barraged and defeated. But I assure you one thing: Nigeria will never surrender. We are going to win and win well”, he said.
Those words were not left hanging as mere rhetoric. By Thursday, the President had convened his top security and intelligence chiefs at the State House to review the evolving situation on the ground. At that meeting, fresh operational updates were presented, strategies were reassessed, and additional military equipment was approved to reinforce ongoing operations against insurgents and bandits.
The message was unmistakable: the war against those who seek to steal Nigeria's peace remains a priority, and the state is adjusting its tactics to stay ahead of evolving threats.
Yet, beyond the defining conversations on democracy, federalism and security, the President's schedule last week also reflected the quieter rhythm of governance; moments that, though less dramatic, were equally telling about the direction of his administration.
The week opened on a reflective note on Sunday as President Tinubu congratulated former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, on his 70th birthday, describing him as a patriot whose years in the Senate helped strengthen legislative practice and national development. Ndoma-Egba represented Cross River Central in the upper chamber for three consecutive terms between 2003 and 2015.
The same day, the President marked the 2026 International Women's Day with a renewed pledge that his administration would continue to create conditions for Nigerian girls to remain in school and for women to thrive economically, stressing that national development must fully harness the potential of women.
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Monday brought attention back to economic governance when Tinubu received the Minister of State for Finance-designate, Taiwo Oyedele. The meeting offered an opportunity to review aspects of the administration's fiscal reform agenda and strategies for strengthening public finance management.
On Tuesday, the President mourned former Super Eagles Head Coach, High Chief Festus Adegboye Onigbinde, praising the late football administrator for his discipline, integrity and enduring contributions to Nigerian football. That same day, he also directed the immediate deployment of about 100,000 Compressed Natural Gas conversion kits nationwide to cushion the impact of rising global fuel prices triggered by the Middle East crisis.
Midweek decisions equally reflected institutional priorities. On Wednesday, Tinubu nominated former Securities and Exchange Commission Director-General, Lamido Abubakar Yuguda, as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, subject to Senate confirmation.
The President also marked personal milestones for several public figures during the week, celebrating grassroots sports promoter Adeboye Adeyinka at 60, congratulating Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Lagos progressive stalwart Babatunde Alade Balogun on their birthdays, and rejoicing with elder statesman Jonah Jang at 80.
By Friday, the week's policy engagements culminated in the establishment of a Presidential Petroleum Reform and Value Optimisation Task Force chaired by business leader, Fola Adeola, to drive the next phase of structural reforms in Nigeria's petroleum sector.
Taken together, the events of the week painted a revealing portrait of Tinubu's governing philosophy.
For him, democracy must be defended through respect for the rule of law. Federalism must be strengthened through accountability at every level of government. And national security must be pursued with relentless determination.
In a country as complex and diverse as Nigeria, those three pillars; democracy, federalism and security, form the delicate architecture of national stability. Last week, President Tinubu made it clear that he intends to guard them all.
Also, the various other engagements formed the quieter backdrop to the larger themes of the week; a presidency balancing urgent national priorities with the steady, everyday work of governance.
