When Principles Bow to Tribalism : A Reflection on Yoruba Elites, Jonathan’s Era, and Today’s Silence – Nifemi Gideon
When Principles Bow to Tribalism : A Reflection on Yoruba Elites, Jonathan’s Era, and Today’s Silence – Olutimehin Oluwanifemi
It’s important we revisit history with honesty. The first and loudest critics of former President Goodluck Jonathan didn’t come from the opposition parties in the North or East they came from the Yoruba elite class.
Figures such as Pastor Tunde Bakare, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Alaafin of Oyo, the Oba of Lagos, and several other prominent Yoruba voices stood at the forefront of protests against Jonathan’s administration. They accused him of mismanagement, corruption, and insensitivity all because of certain economic adjustments.
At that time, fuel pump price had only moved from ₦85 to ₦97, a ₦12 increase. The price of a bag of rice rose modestly from ₦3,800 to ₦4,500, and cement went from ₦1,100 to ₦1,400. Yet, those increments triggered nationwide outrage, spearheaded by Yoruba leaders who declared Jonathan unfit to govern.
But today, those same voices have gone silent. The same people who once marched on the streets, chanting “Occupy Nigeria,” now preach patience and praise Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for policies that have thrown millions into hardship.
Fuel, which once sparked protests when it hit ₦97, now sells for over ₦1,000 per litre and there is no outcry. Food prices have skyrocketed beyond imagination, and inflation has become the order of the day. Still, the silence from the same quarters that once claimed to speak for the people is deafening.
What changed? The truth is uncomfortable but clear tribal loyalty. Many of these voices are not guided by principle but by sentiment. When a son of the soil occupies the presidency, criticism becomes betrayal, and hardship becomes “sacrifice.”
We must call a spade a spade. This isn’t about patriotism; it’s about politics of sabotage and tribalism.
The same Yorubas who rejected Jonathan for a ₦12 increase now endure over a ₦900 rise in fuel prices and still clap for the government.
Until Nigerians learn to place truth above tribe, and principle above personality, this cycle of hypocrisy will continue.
The same silence today will one day be weaponized tomorrow — when another tribe holds power.
True patriotism is not blind loyalty to one’s kinsman; it is standing for justice, no matter who is in power.
Olutimehin oluwanifemi writes
