As the #Endbadgovernance campaign enters its sixth day, reasons are emerging on the surprise waving of Russian flag by Northern protesters in Nigeria.
This action elicited the question: Northern Protesters Carrying Russian Flags – Are Northern Political Elite In “Cold-W@r” With Tinubu?
Already, Russia has been accused of involvement in recent political upheavals in several West African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
The inclusion of Russian flags during protests in Nigeria sparked concerns about external interference in the West African country, though Nigeria has strong ties with US, United Kingdom and the Western countries.
Obiasogu David, a Public Affairs analyst, wrote in his X handle ‘‘It first happened two days ago, on Saturday. Youths in Kano protested, bearing the Russian flag. Pictures circulated but nearly everyone took it to be an expression of exuberance by the unthinking protesting teenagers.
Of course, very observant few knew it wasn’t a fluke – it wasn’t just the ignorant kids throwing tantrums. It’s far more than just how it looked. These are new, neatly-sewn, big foreign flags. How did the protesting youths and teenagers get the flags? They certainly do not have the money to buy flags – not when they’re protesting against acute hunger and starvation.
@afrisagacity penned ‘‘So, it points to one thing – some “deep pockets” with very strong (vested) political interests are making a k!ller-move on the “glassy chessboard” of politics. Only an observant few caught the message from the increasing momentum. By Sunday (yesterday), more Russian flags had flooded different protesting states in the North, in their swamping numbers. The Nigeria Police, in their usual annoyingly inept approach, arrested a young man, whom they accused of designing the flag and was behind its circulation.
Obviously, the arrest was a vacuous move. Because, shortly after the arrest, some videos circulated online, showing where many other tailors were mass-producing the Russian flag. This stirs some salient questions: Who is sponsoring the production of the flags? Why Russian flags? Anyone who has keenly observed the intriguing political developments and permutations in the country, particularly in Northern Nigeria, since Tinubu took over, will have the answers to the above questions, handy.
To put it mildly, Tinubu hasn’t had the best of relationships with Northern political elites, especially in the past 8 months. No one can trace the source or how exactly it started but what is clear is that the “paradise is troubled” because the “kingmakers are unhappy.” As much as we can pay attention to facts, the rift and tussle between Tinubu and Northern Elite gained force in August, 2023 – the moment Tinubu wrote to the Senate to seek permission to invade Niger.
For emphasis, the North shares blood-ties with Niger, particularly the indigenes of Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno (where the VP hails from). In fact, some would regard Niger as “an extension of Northern Nigeria.” They inter-marry, share the same religion and tradition, trade together – and even some communities from bother sides are the same tribe. It’s not surprising, therefore, that Northern elites took the move to attack Niger as a move to attack their people, especially in the aforementioned 7 states.
This explains why Northern Senators fully backed the Senators from the 7 states to reject the request Tinubu sent to the National Assembly, asking for their approval of the invasion. Recall, that day the Senate debated on the request – I guess, it’s on the 6th of August, 2023 – the Senate had a troubling, rowdy session. Goodwill Akpabio who’s Tinubu’s “right-hand man” just couldn’t push it. He met more frustrating pushbacks and was, eventually, cowed into silence.
Tinubu backed down, but of course, not with a good-happy mind. The Northern oligarchs, also, had formed the resentment, and that would kickstart a cracky relationship between Aso Rock’s helmsman and the power-brokers in the North. The festering rancour gained more momentum, late May, this year.
Surprisingly, a letter flew into Aso Rock, from prominent Northerners. They’re asking Tinubu to scuttle any moves to sit US and French military bases in Nigeria. Though, Tinubu’s boys debunked the news, but anyone who knows Nigeria’s politics knows it’d not impossible. There was actually “some burning fire popping the smoke.”
More so, the news further entrenched in the minds of Northern Elites, and of course, most Nigerians, the belief that Tinubu may be in desperate struggle to appease the West and that it’s from a place of “personal interest. It didn’t take long before the North would kick-start what they know how to do best – “resentment politics!” It’s not uncharacteristic of Northern Oligarchs. Whenever they have a “common political enemy,” they squash their personal differences and strike in one force.
They did it against Obasanjo and succeeded. They did it against Jonathan and had a walkthrough. Now, the white-chalk on the dark board boldly spells out their next victim. Suddenly and unsurprisingly, Kaduna’s “little man”, Nasir El-Eufai, of the APC, drove to Kano to hold a strategic meeting with NNPC’s Kwankwaso, on June 26th. The meeting held just 3 days after Atiku Abubakar led a team of other political bigwigs, including Ex-Governor of Sokoto state (now Senator) Aminu Tambuwal, to meet Buhari in Daura.
It, equally, leaves little to wonder why Bashir, El-Rufai’s “troublesome boy” posted some weeks ago, on X, “Even IMF (International Monetary Fund) and World Bank no go save una that time. Political strategist; that one na for Lagos.”
The “swirling gang up” doesn’t exclude Northern intellectuals. Prof Khalifa Dikwa, who is the Dean of the Borno Elders Forum and also a kinsman to Vice President Shettima, echoed the disenchantment, back in May. He had revealed that Tinubu’s policies were “anti-people and directly affecting the North”. He particularly mentioned the Cybersecurity levy and other taxes. In his words, Tinubu’s government is made up of “misfit and weak appointees.”
Prof Usman Yusuf, a member of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, one of the intellectual weapons of Northern Oligarchs, was unleashed on Tinubu, too. He appeared on different fora, berating Tinubu and his government. In one instance, he said, the “Renewed Hope Agenda of Tinubu has now turned to hopelessness.”
In another, he characterized Tinubu’s policies as “deception, destitution, and hopelessness”. NEF Spokesman, Abdulaziz Sulaiman, lashed out too, stating that “North made a mistake in voting Tinubu to the presidency in 2023 and that it was unlikely that they would repeat the same error in 2027.”
The resentment is trickling down different spheres of Northern Oligarchy that even the Northern governors keyed in. It’s not surprising that Prof Babagana Zulum, who doubles as the governor of Borno and the chairman Chairman of North-East Governors Forum, suddenly remembered that the Federal govt had abandoned the road and rail connections between the South-East and North-East.
But it appears that Tinubu and his men aren’t shaken by the whirling displeasure from the Northern powerbrokers. The “Nebuchadnezzar of Aso Rock,” obviously, wears the glorified mantle as the “great strategist.” So, he probably knows how to figure it out.
Maybe, the contrived move to “level” Dangote, the North’s “money bank” and a “clearing house” for the “wealthy Northern Political elite,” is a response from him. Though, that’s just a speculation. But Smart observers believe if Dangote goes down, many Northern Oligarchs will have their “deep pockets” scissored into tatters. The f!ght for the soul of the Dangote Refinery was between Dangote and Oando (who’s f!ghting by proxy).
Oando, owned by Tinubu’s “very dear” nephew, Wale Tinubu, now operates NNPC Limited – the subsidiary of NNPC that regulates the downstream sector (refining and sale of petroleum). The NNPC haven’t withdrawn their “big whip” on the Dangote refinery yet. The bruises are not only excruciatingly piercing the skin of the business mogul and forcing hot tears off his eyes, but the Northern Elite are feeling the pains and crying too. Is the intensifying pro-Russian protest across the Northern States a rapid response from them?
Everyone knows that Northern Political elites “f!ght to the filth” and part of their usual strategies is to weaponize their population – a majority of whom are uneducated, ignorant, and vulnerable. Rolling out thousands of them on the streets to protest with a Russian flag, would be an easy fit to achieve – and it was going to send a powerful and clear signal. Tinubu is understandably pro-west.
Hoisting a Russian flag – flag of a country that’s a long-standing “£nemy of the West” – is a statement too loud to the deaf and well-read by the blind. This is, especially, as Putin had warned that Russia would arm enemies of Western countries.
What we are seeing in the roads of Northern Nigeria as protest, particularly with unthinking youths and teenagers bearing and hoisting Russian flags, could just be a loud statement from Northern Oligarchs to the Aso Rock “chessman, Tinubu.”
Anyways, most Nigerians who’re keenly spectating as the drama evolves, may take pleasure in how the dice is tossed against the man who appears to be taciturn in salvaging the country. While the game the Northern Elite are playing may be dangerous and highly consequential to Nigeria, the consolation is that Tinubu feels the heat, as much as he inflicts on Nigerians, with his vicious and vain policies.’’
