Tinubu's leadership embodies a system of privilege, catering to the elite rather than the masses, argues Olu Fasan.

Nigeria has never experienced a president like Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose standards of political morality are utterly amoral, reflecting the cynical philosophy that "there are no morals in politics," a notion attributed to Vladimir Lenin.

Tinubu's approach to politics is purely self-interested and calculative, devoid of virtuousness and a moral anchor, which is evident in his description of politics as a "game" that he plays to win, regardless of the cost to the nation.

Since assuming office, Tinubu has been turning Nigeria into an electoral autocracy by luring opposition state governors into his party, creating an illusion of invincibility ahead of the next presidential election, and hastily signing a controversial electoral bill that undermines the level-playing field and casts a shadow over the transparency and credibility of the upcoming poll.

Tinubu has also perfected the prebendal practice of doling out public offices as rewards and patronages to party loyalists, cronies, and ethnic affiliates, prioritizing personal fealty over integrity, a trend that has been evident in his appointments and actions as president.

As someone who has devoted considerable time to thinking and writing about Nigeria, it is imperative to address the issue of the nation's moral compass, which is lacking, resulting in bad governance and a nation adrift, a concept that resonates with Plato's assertion that a city, like a person, has a soul that can be good or bad.

According to Plato, a leader's aim should be to instil virtue into his city, but this requires leading by example through values-based narratives and actions, a quality that is absent in Tinubu's leadership style, which is amoral and agnostic about moral issues.

The absence of credible pillars of integrity, such as religious leaders, traditional rulers, and elder statesmen, who can act as the conscience of the nation and shape its moral fabric, has contributed to the decay of Nigeria's moral landscape, as noted by American sociologist Marcus Felson.

In Nigeria, most traditional rulers, religious leaders, and elder statesmen have failed to speak truth to power, instead opting to ingratiate themselves with the incumbent president and government, a trend that has led to the erosion of moral authority and the proliferation of decadent influences in the nation's culture.

The Bible warns that "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil" (Isaiah 5.20), but in Nigeria, many of those who should be pillars of integrity and conscience of the nation have failed to distinguish between right and wrong, often proclaiming that President Tinubu is doing a great job, despite the obvious absence of security, stability, and social harmony in the country.

Tinubu understands the Nigerian psychology and knows that many Nigerians are deeply self-interested, with a price point that can be compromised and coopted into anything, a fact that has been evident in the defections of opposition governors to the ruling party, including Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state.

The logic of self-interest over the public good has underpinned the defections of many PDP governors to the APC, a trend that has solidified Tinubu's position as Nigeria's political grandmaster, but one who is not keen on providing values-driven moral leadership.

Tinubu's appointments to public offices have been drawn from a narrow pool of people with whom he shares party, personal, and ethnic affinities, with at least 95 per cent of his appointees falling into these categories, a fact that raises questions about his judgement and commitment to meritocracy.

The recent international embarrassment caused by Daniel Bwala, Tinubu's Special Adviser on Policy Communication, is another example of the poor judgement and moral vacuity demonstrated by the president in his appointments, as Bwala had previously launched vicious attacks on Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.

Tinubu's appointees as Nigerian ambassadors have also been widely criticized, with many considering them to be utterly embarrassing and an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians, such as the appointment of Reno Omokri to Mexico and Femi Fani-Kayode to Germany, both of whom have questionable pedigree and characters.

President Tinubu's actions and appointments reflect a utilitarian philosophy that prioritizes the interests of a small group of favoured individuals over the greater good of the nation, a trend that has led to the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, while the poor are left to suffer from state neglect.

Under Tinubu's government, Nigeria has become deeply entrenched as an extractive state, where wealth is concentrated in few hands, and the politically connected rich are further enriched through state patronage, while the poor are left to struggle, a situation that raises questions about who the president is governing for: the few or the many.