Former Southeast spokesman to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Denge Josef Onoh, has accused key figures within the All Progressives Congress (APC) of betraying the President through their “unsettling silence” in the face of the United States government’s recent designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” over alleged violations of religious freedom.
In a strongly worded statement released in Abuja, Onoh said the “united silence” of APC leaders, including governors, lawmakers, and cabinet members, amid one of the administration’s biggest diplomatic crises, amounts to political abandonment and exposes the rot within Nigeria’s ruling elite.
“In the high-stakes arena of global diplomacy, where a nation’s reputation hangs by the thinnest of threads, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu finds himself isolated on a precarious ledge,” Onoh stated.
“As the world watches and Washington deliberates, I am shocked that the President’s most ardent political allies have retreated into an unnerving silence. Not a single voice from the APC governors, the National Assembly, or the cabinet has risen in robust defense.”
Onoh lamented that while APC leaders are quick to attack opposition figures such as Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, or Goodluck Jonathan, they have failed to defend their own President when it matters most.
“Mention Peter Obi or Atiku and they all rush to social media to post something aggressive. But when the President is under fire internationally, they vanish. I warned the President months ago to trust only his wife, the First Lady—and the reason is now clear,” he said.
“This is not mere oversight; it is calculated abandonment—a stark revelation of the rot at the heart of Nigeria’s ruling party.”
“Tinubu Has Been Orphaned by His Own Cabal”
Onoh, a long-time Tinubu loyalist, said the silence of APC power brokers reflects deep internal decay within the party.
“The APC’s machinery, once a juggernaut of unified purpose, now creaks under the weight of its own incompetence,” he said.
“Tinubu stands alone, not because the cause is lost, but because he has been orphaned by the very cabal he empowered. Where are the governors who owe their palaces to his patronage? Where are the senators and appointees who feasted at his table?”
He commended only a handful of leaders — including Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and Senator Ali Ndume — for showing courage, despite being critics of the administration.
“It is ironic that only opposition voices have spoken up for Nigeria’s dignity while Tinubu’s own appointees hide in fear of U.S. visa revocations for themselves and their families,” Onoh added.
“Tinubu’s Cabinet Filled with Jobbers, Not Builders”
Onoh blamed the President’s current predicament on early missteps in appointments, accusing Tinubu’s team of prioritizing loyalty over competence.
“In the euphoria of victory, key positions went to political jobbers—opportunists whose currency is allegiance, not expertise,” he said.
“Ministries meant for economic wizards were handed to people with résumés as thin as their understanding of fiscal policy. Advisory roles went to sycophants skilled in flattery but lost in the complexities of diplomacy.”
He said this mediocrity has left Tinubu surrounded by people who “excel at photo ops but fail at performance,” turning governance into a spectacle rather than a solution.
“Today, the President’s mornings are consumed by frantic calls to envoys, and his evenings by the realization that the engine room of this government is staffed by passengers, not pilots,” Onoh warned.
“The U.S. Sanction Is a Mirror of APC’s Failure”
Onoh described the U.S. CPC designation as a “mirror reflecting the soul of Tinubu’s administration”—a government competent enough to win elections but unprepared to lead through global crises.
“When competency is sacrificed at the altar of patronage, the bill comes due in crises like this,” he said.
“Tinubu’s vision of a renewed Nigeria—bold infrastructure, agricultural reform, and security overhaul—now crumbles not under external pressure, but from internal weakness.”
A Call for Redemption and Reawakening
Despite his criticisms, Onoh said the situation presents Tinubu with a chance for renewal if he acts decisively.
“Mr. President must purge the jobber class and elevate individuals who can turn rhetoric into results,” he urged.
“APC governors and legislators owe him more than inertia—they must show actionable support. The time for excuses is over; the real work begins now.”
He called for proactive engagement with U.S. policymakers, bipartisan advocacy within the National Assembly, and a merit-driven reorganization of the federal cabinet.
“Nigeria’s story is one of resilience, not resignation,” Onoh concluded.
“As the U.S. deadline looms, Tinubu’s solitude need not be his sentence. It can be the spark for a merit-based renaissance. I stood alone with the President from the beginning, and I’ll stand by him till the end of this tenure we laboured to win.”
