The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has delivered a scathing verdict on President Bola Tinubu’s administration, describing his “Renewed Hope” agenda as a nightmare for Nigerians. In a joint statement by its Leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, and National Publicity Secretary, Justice Faloye, Afenifere said the midterm report of Tinubu's government showed retrogression across all human development and socio-political indices.
The group accused the administration of engaging in massive propaganda to mask policy failures, particularly in areas of economic reform, governance, and human welfare. Afenifere criticized what it called “unforced errors,” such as subsidy removal and naira devaluation without adequate cushioning mechanisms, leading to widespread hardship.
The statement also decried the alleged prebendal nature of governance under Tinubu, noting that civil service wage increases benefitted only a small elite, while palliatives were distributed through corrupt, exclusive channels. Furthermore, the group lamented the abandonment of the Oronsaye Report despite rising governance costs and described the lifestyle of political leaders as wasteful and disconnected from the suffering masses.
Afenifere condemned the administration’s refusal to implement state policing amidst growing insecurity and accused Tinubu of centralizing power by undermining local governments and weakening democratic institutions. The group alleged a creeping agenda toward a one-party totalitarian state, with opposition suppression and politically motivated defections.
On electoral integrity, Afenifere expressed concern over recent INEC appointments reportedly involving APC loyalists, describing the trend as a threat to democracy.
While urging a shift toward empathetic and people-centered governance, the group concluded that if the midterm review were an academic exercise, Tinubu would have been advised to withdraw. However, Afenifere said it still believes in the possibility of redemption and called on the President to reflect and choose to truly serve the Nigerian people.
