Biya, Okpebholo and the new service chiefs, By Reuben Abati

“They say President Paul Biya has been declared winner of the Presidential election in Cameroon. The man has been in power since 1982. At 92, he is the oldest President in the world. Now that the Constitutional Court has given him another tenure of seven years in office, it means he will be President till almost 100. What exactly is wrong with us in Africa?”
“It means Paul Biya is likely to die in office. What you have in Cameroon is not a democracy. It is a monarchy. It is a mockery of democracy. You asked the right question. Truly something is wrong with us in Africa. We are not okay at all. Do you know that Paul Biya only showed up once to campaign? African dictators have adopted a new style. They campaign with effigies. Biya did it in Cameroon. Museveni has done the same in Uganda. It was his effigy going about waving to the people. He is so sick, so big, so disoriented he even says it is the Gen Z youths that want him in power. You can be sure he too will be declared winner. In Cameroon how can a man who never campaigned for votes win 53.66% of the votes.”.
“Will he get away with it? Where are the people?”
“Paul Biya has been getting away with impunity since 1982. He is likely to get away with it. But this may also be the beginning of his end. On Sunday, the people took to the streets in Yaounde, Garroua, Maroua, Douala, Maiganga, Yagoua, Kaele and Bafoussam. Four persons were killed. About 30 opposition politicians and activists have been arrested and detained. There is tension in Cameroon. Tchairoma Bakary, leader of the main opposition party who leads the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon party and the Union for Change has threatened that he would not accept a stolen vote and that his party won the election. He has called on the people to defend their mandate”.
“That is a familiar response. If Bakary is not careful, he will be arrested and detained for challenging the Constitutional Court. Bakary used to be the spokesperson and spin doctor for this same Biya. He was Communications Minister for ten years, 2009 to 2019. He helped to create the Cameroonian monster. The establishment will find an excuse to arrest and jail him.”
“But the people. Democracy is about the people.”
“They have started killing the people. May be there will be sustained protests in the separatist Anglophone regions, and heightened Boko Haram insurgency in the Far North. But Biya will have his way.”
“We pray that God should intervene and save the people of Cameroon from Biya’s bondage”
“Whatever happens I think we should worry more about the future of Cameroon. After Paul Biya, what next? The country is already on its knees. Corruption. Violence. Bad governance. Biya does not want peaceful change. He seems to be stoking the fire of violence. It is just unfortunate that most adults in Cameroon have never known any other leader.”
‘I don’t think the Nigerian government should congratulate him. President Tinubu must stay away from his inauguration. Nigeria must show leadership by sending a strong message to Paul Biya. The African Union and ECOWAS must condemn the theft of the people’s vote.”
“I beg. Leave matter. Nigeria will congratulate. Nigeria will attend. Even Trump will send a delegation. Are you not aware that Trump wants to do a third term in 2028? His strategists are working hard at it. And Trump who says he is the chief peacemaker in the world would rather rule the United States forever. This thing is not just in Africa. Trump is the dictator in the United States.”
“There is God. Of that, I am sure.”
“Stop blaming God. It is all about power. Most leaders have learnt not to take chances. Look at our own President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He has learnt to seize the moment when he can.”
“He will not dare try tenure elongation in this country. It will not work here.”
“You can’t be too sure. We used to say America is the bastion of democracy. Look at what Trump is doing and he is getting away with it. The US Government has been shut down for about a month, simply bccause it is either what Trump wants or nothing else. Canada runs an advert featuring Ronald Reagan and condemning Trump’s tariffs. Canada gets slammed with an additional 10% tariff, bringing the total amount of tariffs against Canada to 45%. I am not even talking about that. I am talking about how President Tinubu has swiftly changed the service chiefs, leaving behind only the Director of Military Intelligence.”
“Nobody saw that coming.”
“That is power. There was some rumour and speculation about some elements in the military toying with the idea of a coup. Whether it is a rumour or whatever it is, Tinubu has acted swiftly. He has refused to allow what happened in Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea Conakry, Mali and Madagascar to happen under his watch. No time for nonsense.”
“I understand many senior military officers are going to lose their commission on account of the appointments, especially officers from Courses 38 and 39, and a few from Course 40, about 60 Generals in all.”
“Yes. That is expected. It happens whenever there is a change of guards.”
“Do you think changing service chiefs will make any difference? General Buhari changed his service chiefs. It was same of the same. These new service chiefs have been part of the system. What new magic can they perform? And besides, the Chief of Defence Intelligence who has been retained, could he be the one who snitched on his colleagues, and he got rewarded?”
“I don’t know about that. I guess that must be classified state secret. What I can state is that changing the service chiefs is a smart move by President Tinubu. He has applied the shock and surprise strategy in a very deft manner. And I do not share the view that it would be same of the same. Give General Christopher Gabwin Musa his flowers. As Chief of Defence Staff, he made a lot of difference. We should urge the new Chiefs to prove that they deserve their elevation, and that they can make even better difference. I have looked at their profiles. They are all battle-tested. General Oluyede used to be Chief of Army Staff. He provides a sense of continuity. He has to show us what he’s got. The President says he wants to strengthen the country’s security architecture. Fine. We want to see results.”
“The opposition says the President acted out of fear, cowardice and panic.”
“The opposition can say what they like. When it is their turn, and they hear rumours of a coup, let them sleep on it. The new Service chiefs should tackle banditry, insurgency and terrorists with renewed vigour. They must clear all the spaces that have been taken over by criminals. It must be possible for the people in Nigeria’s food basket zones to go to the farm. They have a duty to restore hope.”
“But you know nobody can try a coup in this country. Democracy has come to stay.”
“I don’t know what you know. My strong view is that those in positions of authority should pay more attention to good governance and lead the people right. I don’t like what is going on in Edo State for example. If I were from that state, I will hide my face in shame. But I don’t know whether they have enough people in Edo State who are capable of shame.”
“I have friends from Edo State and they are responsible, decent people. What is the matter?”
“Their Governor is the matter. Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo has given a new definition to the art of sycophancy. He has directed all his Commissioners and Advisers attending the State Executive Council Meeting, if they are dressed in a native attire to wear the Tinubu Emilokan cap. Whoever flouts the order will be suspended.”
“Wonderful”
“He says he owes his election to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that he is determined to deliver 2.8 million votes to the President in the 2027 election.”
“So, it is the President who voted for him. Where are the people of Edo State? He even knows the exact number of votes that he will deliver to President Tinubu. God, the people of Edo State have suffered. A dress code for commissioners and advisers. I have never heard of that”
“The way that Governor is going, he will soon issue the same directive to all traditional rulers in Edo State. Whoever does not comply will have his staff of office withdrawn!”
“Nice one. Let him try that. I actually do not understand why he is being more Catholic than the Pope. There are four APC Governors in the South West. I have not heard them dictating that their commissioners should wear the Asiwaju cap. Not even in Lagos, the main stronghold of Tinubu’s politics. But in Edo State, Okpebholo is erecting Tinubu billboards across Benin. I hope he is using his personal funds, and not state resources to fund that ugly sycophancy. Roads are in bad shape in Edo State. He is not repairing roads. He is erecting billboards for Tinubu.”
“I hear the Presidency has rejected those billboards as a violation of the nation’s electoral laws either in Edo State or anywhere else across the country.”
“But nobody has removed the billboards. Every Governor is looking for one way or the other to curry favours from President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections. But the law is clear. Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 states that “the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.”
“Keep quoting the Electoral Act. You are on your own.”
“We have a new INEC Chairman. He is a Professor of Law. He should wield the big stick against whoever flouts the law.”
“He should arrest persons who are campaigning for President Tinubu. Is that what you are saying?”
“Yes. The reign of impunity must stop. This is why civil society is asking for an Electoral Offenders Commission. Professor Amupitan should insist on that.”
“Very good. Very good.”
“I mean it”
“I know. Except that I do not know who you want the authorities to arrest. Definitely not Okpebholo who has immunity.”
“His agents do not enjoy any immunity.”
“They are obeying their Governor’s directives.”
“That is no defence. No right-thinking man should obey an unlawful order.”
“So, if you were a Commissioner in Governor Okpebholo’s cabinet, you will argue with him and disobey him.”
“This is about integrity.”
“I know. We are saying the same thing. Just imagine yourself getting fired and you will go and live with integrity in your house.”
“No integrity anywhere. And yet members of the National Assembly want to create six additional states, one in each geopolitical zone, which would now mean 42 states of the Federation.”
“More bureaucracy. More local governments. More trouble. More Governors. More First Ladies. There will be no end to it.”
“We do not need more states. We need good persons in government who will serve the people, and not their personal interests. We need our states to become viable centres of productivity, not new centres of conspicuous consumption.”
“I cannot agree more.”