ABUJA — A fierce debate over the “ethnic and religious bias” in Nigerian politics is erupting following a viral reflection by public commentator Zariyi Yusufu, who argues that the intense opposition faced by former President Goodluck Jonathan had “nothing to do with governance.”
Looking back at the eight-year tenure of Muhammadu Buhari and the current economic trajectory under President Bola Tinubu since 2023, Yusufu concluded that the “hatred” directed at Jonathan was rooted in his status as a “minority” from the South-South. The sentiment, which has gained significant traction on social media, suggests that Nigerians held Jonathan to a standard of accountability that has been conspicuously absent or ignored for leaders from the country’s major ethnic blocs.
“Reflecting on how Buhari set Nigeria on the path of retrogression for eight years and how far Tinubu has gotten us from 2023, I have come to the conclusion that the hatred Goodluck Ebele Jonathan faced from Nigerians had nothing to do with governance or failure of it,” Yusufu stated. “It was simply because he was from a category that Nigerians call ‘minority’.”
The argument taps into a growing sense of “buyer’s remorse” among some sections of the electorate who now compare the relative economic stability and exchange rates of the Jonathan era to the record-breaking inflation and currency devaluation witnessed under the APC-led administrations. Critics of the current government argue that while Jonathan was vilified for a $20 billion “missing” oil fund allegation—which was later disputed—the current administration is handing out $12.7 billion in contracts to single entities like the Chagoury Group with far less public outcry.
While supporters of the current presidency maintain that Tinubu is “fixing the cracks” left by decades of rot, the “minority” narrative is gaining steam as a lens through which to view Nigerian political history. It suggests that for a leader from a minority group, even moderate success is treated as a failure, while for others, systemic failure is often excused as “ongoing reform.”
