THE ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTION
What if we decide to pop the accountability question❓
Visionary, Informed, Assertive, Alert, Aware, Diplomatic, Brilliant, And Hard-working. Those were some of the words that came to mind as I watched the video clip of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu #GCFR engaging Governor Ademola Adeleke after the just concluded Osun State elections.
By the way: A big Congratulations to Senator Adeleke on your well deserved victory ✌️
Beyond the politics, what I saw was a President who appears conscious of where he wants to take Nigeria and Nigerians, aware of the constraints around the journey, and deliberate about engaging the people who must help deliver that vision.
And it made me think about something bigger than one President.
Now, who is accountable for what happens to the Nigerian citizen?
Have we critically considered that Mr President is one man.? Yes! he is one Man in case some of us forgot.
At such, I do not expect him to personally know everyone in my village, understand the needs of every household in Nigeria, know my ward councillor, supervise every primary school, monitor every rural road, inspect every health centre or determine whether a local government chairman is doing his job or not.
That is precisely why governance has different levels and why citizens exist to play the role of watchmen and whistleblowers. The councillor is closer to the people than the President. The local government chairman is closer. The state governor is closer. The members of the State and National Assemblies have specific constitutional responsibilities. And the President has his own responsibilities.
In Igbo we jokingly say "ekere oru a eke" meaning, this labour is divided. It often comes up when someone wants to hide under other people's performance to shine. No! everyone must contribute and must also be ready to show and defend their contribution with confidence when there is need, because talk is cheap and you can easily find those who are making little or no contribution, detracting and maligning those making the most sacrifice, and you know what? they are often believed and applauded because that is how loyalty in this part of the world is defined and that is part of the reason we have low productivity when mediocrity is encouraged at the expense of excellence.
This distinction matters because we cannot continue to place every success, failure, pothole, abandoned project, unpaid local worker, poorly equipped health centre and dysfunctional schools at the doorstep of Aso Rock.
My point as we continue is simply: Accountability must follow responsibility.
There is also a bigger economic story Nigerians should be watching. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria's real GDP grew by 3.89% year-on-year in Q1 2026, compared with 3.13% in Q1 2025. The non-oil sector also accounted for 96.08% of real GDP in Q1 2026.
The Presidency also reported that non-oil revenues reached N15.69 trillion between January and August 2025, while total collections reached N20.59 trillion, a 40.5% increase from the comparable 2024 figure.
FAAC distributions have also reached unprecedented levels. In July 2025, N2.001 trillion was shared among the three tiers of government, including N660.349 billion to states and N485.039 billion to local governments. And so many other remarkable achievements of this administration.
These figures are important. But figures are not the destination. The real question is: what are these resources producing in the lives of ordinary Nigerians?
Are our schools better? Are teachers being trained and motivated? Are healthcare facilities functional and properly equipped? Are rural roads opening up agricultural communities to markets? Are young people finding pathways into productive enterprise? Are farmers receiving the infrastructure and support they need? Are salaries and pensions being paid promptly? Are local governments delivering measurable services? Are constituency projects producing sustainable value?
If the answer to any or all of these questions is no, then Nigerians deserve to know why. And that accountability cannot stop at the President's table alone.
This is where I believe Nigeria needs a new political culture which is beign driven by the Tinubu #GCFR Administration.
At this moment: Every governor should be prepared to present a clear, independently verifiable State Governance Scorecard.
Every local government chairman should present a Local Government Development Scorecard.
Every senator and member of the House of Representatives should present a Constituency and Legislative Scorecard.
We are not talking about political speeches. Not glossy photographs. Not billboards. And Not promises. I mean Results.
How much was received? How much was spent? On what? Where? What was completed? What is still ongoing? What measurable difference has it made? How many people benefited? What challenges were encountered? What is the next target?
That is how citizens can begin to distinguish governance from a possible culture programmed by propaganda.
It is also important to acknowledge that local government financial autonomy remains a major governance issue. The Supreme Court ordered direct payment of allocations to local governments, yet reporting in 2026 indicates that implementation remains contested; analysis cited by The PUNCH found that local councils received about N10.48 trillion between July 2024 and June 2026.
That is not pocket change. It represents enormous potential for grassroots transformation. But obviously, money reaching a tier of government is not the same thing as development reaching the people. We all know that development is what happens after the money is received. This is why Nigerians must become more sophisticated in the way we evaluate leadership, not by emotional outrage but by structured data-backed analysis.
When properly done, we should praise what works. We should question what fails. We should challenge corruption. We should demand transparency. We should acknowledge genuine progress without becoming partisan cheerleaders. And we should criticize poor performance without turning every national challenge into an excuse to attack one individual.
The reason is that Nigeria's governance structure is too complex for simplistic blame which most times lack intellectual and logical depth, but only displays emotional outpouring of gross ignorance.
So, Mr President, as you continue to pursue your national agenda, I join you to urge Nigerians to also begin asking their governors, local government chairmen, legislators and other elected officials a simple question: “What exactly have you done with the authority and resources entrusted to you?”
And to Nigerians at home and in the diaspora: Please let us make accountability the new political culture.
Let us stop asking only, “What has the President done for us?” But let us also ask: What has my governor done? What has my local government done? What has my senator done? What has my representative done? What has my councillor done? What has my government received, and what has my community received in return?
This is not an attack on any political party.
It is not a defence of every government policy. It is not a demand that Nigerians suspend criticism. It is simply a demand that our criticism become informed, balanced, evidence-based and strategically directed.
At this moment, Nigeria does not merely need louder citizens, we rather need informed citizens who know who is responsible for what, who demand evidence, who track public resources and who reward performance at the ballot box.
Finally, let us build a Nigeria where public office is not merely an opportunity to exercise power, but a measurable contract with the people.
The time has come for every elected official to publish their scorecard.
There should not be vague claims any more. There should no more be convenient blame games. And No more hiding behind political slogans.
Tell us what you received.
Tell us what you did.
Show us what changed.
Be informed that Well-meaning Nigerians are watching. Nigerians at home are watching. Nigerians in the diaspora are watching. And history is keeping the score.
Be guided, and do what you please with this piece, if time is all you got, use it productively and turn things around for good where they were initially bad ✌️
Shalom!
[ACN_JN8:12]
#newground2026 #leadership #nigeria #everyone #NationBuilding #impact
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