Former Minister of Information Frank Nweke has issued a strong warning to President Bola Tinubu, advising him against governing based on personal preferences, which he argues risks damaging Nigeria’s institutional integrity. Nweke’s comments come in response to the recent release of 76 minors who were detained for treason after participating in a hunger protest in August.
Nweke expressed concern over the three-month detention of the minors, describing their conditions as “inhumane” and the legal action as “unjustifiable.” He questioned the integrity of the decision-making process within the administration, suggesting it reflects a governance style driven by individual discretion rather than structured institutional policy. “The presidency’s recent decision to release these minors after public backlash points to governance by personal whims, which erodes institutional integrity,” Nweke stated.
The former APGA Enugu State governorship candidate also criticized Vice President Kashim Shettima’s official handover of the minors to state governments in Kaduna and Kano, calling it a “mere distraction” aimed at gaining public goodwill after intense criticism.
Nweke’s statement also raised concerns about the overall direction of Nigeria’s democracy under Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of increasingly sidelining democratic principles. “These symbolic handovers do not address the erosion of democracy, where personal freedoms, the rule of law, and institutional checks are compromised by a one-man approach to governance,” he concluded.
News Editor