OPINION: Our Gingerbread President Still Running

We are in a time warp aren’t we? Do you feel like fairies in a fairytale sometimes? For most Nigerians, it must feel like we are living in one large, dark, fantasy island in the middle of nowhere today! Perhaps we are in a  bizarre enclave governed by a Gingerbread President?

You know the Gingerbread man, the fairytale character in ancient children’s books? Springing out of the oven, Gingerbread man, aka, John Dough,  sprints away from its maker and makes away. 

Running heedlessly, it keeps going until it meets its sorry end – ending up in the belly of the fox.

This simple metaphor speaks to indiscipline, insouciance, unwisdom, unruliness and a total absence of empathy. When these shortcomings are heaped up in a leader, the result becomes tragic.

This make-believe story is true of Nigeria’s current situation. President Bola Tinubu seems to be merely running – without running the country. Three years on and things keep turning for the worse. More and more Nigerians are pauperised  and scourged by bandits and terrorists now seemingly running free across the land.

Consider the most current matter in the news concerning insecurity in Nigeria. A few days ago, the US released an update on the US-Nigeria May operation in Borno,  northeast of  Nigeria in which about 119 Jihadists were killed including a leading commander, Abu al-Mainuki.

Let it be known that the current involvement of the US in Nigeria’s war against terror  tagged US -Nigeria, is actually a face-saving misnomer. The US under President Trump sights an opportunity to feed his ego and extend his country’s sphere of influence  while saving Nigeria from a certain annihilation by ISIS Jihadists almost claiming Nigeria for a prize. 

Let’s understand it for what it really is!

The first airstrike was in Sokoto in December 2025 and the second was last May. These are raids emanating straight from the US and hitting targets in Nigeria.

These are top secret military operations only a few living beings are privy to. It is unlikely that any soul in Nigeria gets an inkling of it until the target is hit.

This is more so as Nigeria is a highly intel-compromised environment. Not her high commands or even the presidency can be trusted with  such red-file military information.