Experts have raised serious concerns about the internal disorganization within President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, warning that the lack of a competent and cohesive governance team may be undermining the president’s performance.
Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, respected commentators — journalist and community publisher Dayo Akintobi, and journalist and former banker Etim Etim — expressed deep concern over what they described as a growing trend of self-immortalization by sitting leaders, facilitated by political allies attempting to curry favor.
Laolu Akande, the Host of Inside Sources said “The president can want to do a lot of things but if you don’t have enforcers who will go out on a diligent basis… if you don’t have people that can get it done, people who have the skill, capacity, the experience, the knowledge, and the public spirit to get it done, it wouldn’t be done. And that is one of the challenges that I see that is happening under the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency. There is a bit of chaos in the Villa. The president appoints a Chief of Staff, and then very soon, everybody saw that it was not a Chief of Staff. Aides of the President will say jokingly behind his back that the Chief of the Staff has been removed. We now have HMO [Honourable Muri Okunola] doing part of the work. A lot of disorganization.
“When Bola Tinubu was governor in Lagos state, I have spoken to at least two of these people whose names I am going to mention who were his commissioners. And they said to me that what they use to do every week, they will go to Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s office and they will try and sort things out. The people who were doing this work are Yemi Osinbajo, Wale Edun, Olayemi Cardoso, Dele Alake, Babatunde fashola, and Rauf Aregbesola. Where is this team?
Etim Etim, on his part said “Immediately he got elected, he had his eyes on reelection immediately. And so, the team he assembled were given two roles – to govern and prepare for reelection. So, he has a large a number of politicians – who can win elections by hook or by crook. So, the president is not as focused on the job as he was in Lagos. “
‘Improper and Inappropriate’
Akintobi, a seasoned journalist, argued that it was historically and ethically wrong to name national monuments after sitting presidents whose legacies are yet to be fully determined. According to him, such honors are typically reserved for after a leader has either left office or passed away — and only if their contributions stand the test of time.
“It’s quite interesting, actually, because historically it usually is after a leader has died or retired and has left mega footprints in the lives of the people. It’s usually a sort of report card and a reward for performance,” Akintobi said.
“We cannot be rewarding or immortalizing you while you are still in the process of trying to prove yourself. This is just halfway through the first tenure. We don’t know what the scorecard will be at the end of four years.”
He described the decision to rename the ICC as “improper and inappropriate,” pointing out that while it may have been initiated by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), President Tinubu could have easily declined the gesture as a sign of humility and focus.
“The president has the wherewithal to say, ‘No, I don’t think this is appropriate.’ He should have refused all these kinds of laurels at this point to let us know he’s grounded and focused. Instead, he attended the commissioning event and saw his name in sprawling letters. I think he must get a perverse type of pleasure out of that kind of public acclaim,” Akintobi concluded.
‘Utterly Distasteful and Misguided’
Etim Etim was even more scathing in his criticism, describing the development as “misguided,” “ill-advised,” and part of a worrying pattern of premature honors conferred on the president. He revealed that the ICC is just one of several facilities that have been renamed in Tinubu’s honor in recent months.
“In the last few months, I think eight places have been named after him — a polytechnic in Gwarimpa, barracks in Asokoro, an immigration center, and the Minna Airport. Minna Airport has existed since the ’80s, and now it has been renamed one year into his presidency,” Etim said.
Calling attention to the historical significance of the ICC, Etim recalled that it was built in just six months in 1991 under General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) to host the 27th Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Summit, after it had to be moved from Addis Ababa due to security concerns.
“IBB didn’t name it after himself. Abacha didn’t. Abdulsalami, Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan, even Buhari — as controversial as he was — said he didn’t want anything named after him while in office,” Etim noted.
He added that the president should have rejected the move by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as a matter of principle. “Yes, he renovated the place, but that’s not enough reason. This has seriously tarnished the reputation of this president. I think this should be reversed immediately,” he insisted.
The remarks by Akintobi and Etim have added weight to a growing public backlash against the move. Critics argue that renaming national assets during a leader’s tenure undermines the spirit of public service and risks creating a personality cult. They also warn that it distracts from the pressing need for performance, especially at a time of economic and security challenges.
Supporters of the president, however, argue that the renaming reflects recognition of his leadership and vision. Yet, calls for restraint and humility from within civil society continue to gain traction.
