Aso Rock No Longer Shares Your Struggle

“There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice.”
Baron de Montesquieu
(French lawyer and political philosopher)

Dear {{First name|Active Citizen}},

It's been a busy week, but grab a seat, we need to talk about the distance between the seats of power and the streets you walk.

While most of us were preparing for the week on the 29^th of March, families in Angwan Rukuba, Plateau State, lost at least 28 people who were killed in an attack on the community. On Palm Sunday, what should have been a day of peace turned into a massacre.

In Kaduna, the story is no less grim. In Kahir village, what was supposed to be a wedding celebration ended in a massacre. Gunmen attacked the gathering, killing 13 guests and abducting at least 28 others. 

But if history is anything to go by, we knew the script that the government’s response would follow. A consistent pattern that has repeated itself after every mass attack on communities across this country: presidential condemnation, announcement of deployments, promise of investigations, and then silence. No perpetrators from previous attacks would be publicly prosecuted, and no security review would be made public. Rather, we would see security agencies publicly ask that perpetrators be "forgiven" and treated as "prodigal sons."

Our Executive Director, Ufuoma Nnamdi-Udeh puts it plainly;

“Every time Nigerians are killed in this way, the government responds with condolences and the promise of an investigation. But investigations go nowhere, no one is held to account, and the attacks continue. At what point do we stop calling this a crisis and start calling it what this is - a complete government failure?”

A government's legitimacy rests on its capacity to protect those it governs. Nigerians in Jos, in Maiduguri, in Kwara, and in every community living under the threat of violence are not statistics. They are citizens, and they are owed better than condolences and curfews.

We published a press statement containing our position on this crisis. Read here.

In the midst of all of these events, the political class was otherwise engaged. Both the APC and the PDP held their national conventions. While the country was being set on fire, those who claim to lead us were in Abuja, busy electing "National Officers" and positioning themselves for 2027.

But the disconnect doesn't stop at party politics. Just as the news of the massacres broke, the Senate was busy yet again. In a move that has become all too familiar, they approved a fresh $6 billion external loan for the President. On the same day, they approved an upward review of the 2026 budget by N9.09 Trillion, bringing the total budget to a record N68.32 Trillion. 

While Nigerians are being killed, our National Assembly has effectively become a "money-sharing centre." We’ve had no firm response to the state of insecurity, no transparent report on the 2025 budget, and no accountability for the billions already spent. But they are quick to approve billions for "legacy projects" and "transportation" while the most basic right, the right to life, remains contested and unprotected.

And it still doesn't end there.

To mark his 74th birthday, President Tinubu announced a welfare fund to support soldiers wounded in the line of duty and the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. He pledged all his salaries since assuming office as seed funding for the initiative.

The initiative itself is not without merit; soldiers and their families deserve support. But there are questions to ask. 

We hear the fund will be domiciled in a ‘special’ account managed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, an office that has not exactly been synonymous with transparency. 

With 2027 approaching, the timing of all of these is questionable.

{{First name|Active Citizen}}, we see a government that has disconnected itself from your struggles, and a security crisis met with a predictable loop of silence.

The most powerful thing you can do right now is make sure your voice counts in 2027, and that starts with being on the register.

If you have not registered to vote, or you need to update your details or transfer your polling unit, do it today at cvr.inecnigeria.org. 

Remember, your vote is your voice, don’t lose it.

Click here to join our volunteer team in Osun and Ekiti ahead of the states’ upcoming elections. Volunteers' onboarding will commence next Tuesday.

When we turned 16 last month, we launched a one-month campaign to raise 16 million naira to support our election work in Ekiti and Osun states. If the past few weeks are anything to go by, these off-cycle elections are critical landmarks for what to expect in the 2027 general elections.

More than ever, we need your support to:

{{First name|Active Citizen}}, you can join us by donating using the flyer below or Clicking Here to Pay Directly via our Secure Link.

We’re counting on you.

In service of the #OfficeOfTheCitizen
The EiE Nigeria Team.

If this newsletter resonates with you, please share it with friends, colleagues, and anyone who cares about good governance and citizenship. They can join our mailing list at eieng.co/subscribe. 

Enough thinking. Enough ranting. Let's build.