Nigeria’s political class has mastered the art of breaking—breaking promises, breaking institutions, and breaking the hearts of citizens who once trusted them. In a country rich in oil, culture, and youthful energy, leadership has become a theatre of betrayal. Chinua Achebe once warned that “the trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” Decades later, his verdict still bleeds true.
Our politicians present themselves as iron men—unyielding, powerful, and indestructible. Yet their strength is only used to crush the will of the people. They build empires on poverty, enforce silence with hunger, and celebrate victory in the ruins of national unity. Iron they may be, but instead of forging progress, they shatter the very foundation of trust.
The heartbreak is louder than the campaigns. A mother sells her goods by the roadside, watching her children drop out of school because government scholarships never reach the poor. A father dies on bad roads that swallowed funds already “approved and disbursed.” Citizens wonder if politics here is governance or organized robbery. As Thomas Sankara once declared, “A soldier without political education is a potential criminal.” So too, a politician without conscience is a disaster in motion.
Promises rain down like rivers in election season, but they dry up the moment the ballot boxes are sealed. Nigerians are left clutching empty words. Plato once wrote that “the price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” And truly, when we fold our arms in despair, our silence becomes fuel for the same men who plunder our tomorrow.
But iron can also forge. A leader with vision can weld broken tribes into a single nation, turn oil wealth into schools, and transform anger into collective energy. Mandela said, “It is in your hands to make a better world for all who live in it.” Nigeria does not lack men or women with such fire; what it lacks is the courage to enthrone them.
So the haunting question remains: are Nigerian politicians iron breakers or heart breakers? In truth, they have been both—breaking the iron will of the people and breaking the fragile hope of a wounded land. Until accountability dethrones arrogance, Nigeria will keep dancing in circles, with leaders wielding iron against the masses and leaving only broken hearts behind.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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