Special Report
GOVERNOR UGWUANYI’S GIANT STRIDES IN THE JUDICIARY: A GLIMMER OF HOPE
Steve Oruruo
Saddled with weak institutions oftentimes tied to conflicting functions, Nigeria’s prospects at major fronts have languished in perennial cycle of only potentiality. Why has a hugely endowed Country with both human and material resources so retrogressed while its peers climb into quantum leaps on the ladder of socio-economic progress?
Despite elaborate outlines of the constitution and other key regulations, manipulating the formal state institutions, ignoring court order and upending the due process are the well known art of the Nigerian political class and other key players in the country’s public life. Institutions largely function as mere facades, for which nocturnal and primordial interests essentially manipulate to realise goals of ethnic hegemony, primitive accumulation of wealth and other sundry perverse goals that are not expressly or impliedly outlined in the constitution or any other regulatory framework.
Sequel to the fact that the frameworks of formal state institutions are mostly farcical, they are unable to inspire or mobilize the latent human resource of the huge population into a national asset to prosecute the agenda of sustainable and inclusive economic development. Elite consensus on political accommodation and method of leadership recruitment to public institutions have ensured that the process produces mediocrity, depriving the country the services of her best materials.
The structural enablers of corruption are the weak state institutions, and fighting corruption without first tinkering with its underlying infrastructure is basically a public relations stunt without any possibility of institutional entrenchment. More worrisome than the missed opportunities is the fact that the Nigerian power elite has neither reckoned nor felt ashamed that they are punching far below the country’s potential and manifest destinies.
The Judiciary as the third organ of the government is the pillar of political democratic governance, saddled with the cardinal responsibility of adjudication, and interpretation of the law in line with the doctrine of Separation of Powers. From the citizens’ perspective, the judiciary is prime among the tripod of democracy because it functions as their protector against the possible excesses of the other arms and therefore ought to be tenaciously shielded or insulated in the maze of the prevailing incongruities. It is the beacon of justice, egalitarianism and hence the guardian of the soul of society. Political corruption and its associated malfeasances, and societal ills can only thrive on the nourishing humus of a judiciary infected with chronic debauchery and/or uttermost incompetence.
Andrew Jackson, the American soldier and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837 succinctly captured the great import of the Judiciary’s mantle when he posited that *_“all the rights secured to the citizens under the Constitution are worth nothing, and a mere bubble, except guaranteed to them by an independent and virtuous Judiciary.”_* From the priests of the _Ius Civile_ in the Archaic Roman Law (650–264 BC) to Henry II’s jury of 12 local knights (1154-1189), the primer of the modern justice system in England, to the present era, the Judiciary has remained imperative to the birth, sustenance and evolution of democracy.
Unfortunately, the judiciary in Nigeria is afflicted with political cankerworms threatening its sanctity and desecrating its hallowed integrity. The most vicious are often the theatricals between the executive arm of government and the Judiciary across federal and state levels; usually stemming from illegal interference and assumption of prerogative by the former over judicial matters. The polity is awash with stories of how the judiciary had been shackled, its courts shut down; and that of a bleak time, when grim security operatives invaded the residences of Supreme Court judges in the dead of the night. Hence, it is safe if not apt to say that the constitutionally touted independence of the Nigerian Judiciary remains by a disquieting degree, cosmetic, utopian and a mirage. When the judiciary is robbed of its independence, the doctrine of Separation of Powers is flushed down the toilet of impunity. Consequently, political structures lie decrepit, institutions falter and the ordinary masses suffer the mess created by a few feudal Lords of the Manor.
The absence of financial independence for the Judiciary has often led to manipulation of this vital arm of government, both at the federal and state levels. This is why the Executive Order No.10(EO 10) 2020, recently signed into Law by President Muhammadu Buhari for the implementation of the financial autonomy for state Judiciary in line with powers vested on him under Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) must be commended. The section extends to the Executive and maintenance of the constitution, laws made by the National Assembly, including but not limited to Section 121(3) of the Constitution which guarantees financial autonomy of the state Judiciary. Section 77(a) of the Executive Order makes provision for a Presidential Implementation Committee to ensure compliance.
Therefore, the Executive Order 10 makes it compulsory for the 36 states to include the allocations of the Judiciary in the first-line charge of their budgets. Besides, Article 6(1) of the Order provides that “not withstanding the provisions of the Order, in the three years of its implementation, there shall be special capital allocations for the Judiciary to undertake capital development of the state Judiciary Complex, High Court of Appeal and other court complexes befitting the status of a Court.”
We must therefore celebrate leaders in the executive arm of government in Nigeria, who unlike some of their overstepping predecessors and counterparts, respect the Judiciary and support its independence and operational efficiency.
It is at this point that the name of the Executive Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi resonates with this commendable renaissance. The Governor, a famed apostle of democratic tenets, in his usual clairvoyance has been a copper-bottomed fortress and advocate of justice and fairness. This explains why social justice is firmly integrated in his governance agenda geared towards realizing the visions of our founding fathers and equitably delivering the dividends of democracy to his people. It is undisputable that social justice flows from the estuary of judicial activities even more than from the firth of religious crusades. Unlike many political leaders of the days of yore and a few of the present, Governor Ugwuanyi is vitalized, rather than threatened by this esteemed place of the Judiciary as ‘checkers & balancers’, moral watchdog of the society and soldiers of conscience. Through inter-organ collaborations across various political fora and a conscious infrastructural rebirth, the governor has sufficiently lent his executive privileges to consolidating the independence and enhancing the productivity of the Judiciary in Enugu state. A central part of his commitment,as a Governor, has not only been delivery of justice, but also its speedy delivery to all classes of people, without prejudice to socio-economic cum political status or influence.
Rt. Hon. Ugwuanyi’s achievements on the front of Judiciary reform since 2015 is hardly surprising for the impact of his stewardship in the Southeast capital reverberates across all facets of human endeavour. The Judiciary couldn’t have been left out of this revolutionary train for Governor Ugwuanyi acknowledges it as a partner in progressive leadership, an albatross of social inequality and injustice, and the final hope of the common man.
*Perhaps, Governor Ugwuanyi’s stoical determination to promote the ideals of an independent judicial system, through zero interference and continued support for its self-regulation, is the poster child of his administration’s pro-Judiciary movement. Also screaming volumes are his infrastructural exploits which are crystallizing the emergence of an improved prototype of judicial system in Nigeria.*
The first ever Enugu State Customary Court of Appeal Headquarters complex was constructed by the Ugwuanyi administration and furnished with state-of-the-art facilities. Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, the former President of the Court of Appeal, on inspection of the architectural masterpiece, heartily commended the governor for his unfaltering resolve to reposition the state Judiciary.
On other vanguards of Judiciary reform, the governor constructed 34 modern Customary Courts (two in each local government area), 24 magistrate courts 16 of which are new court buildings, and open registries in the judicial divisions and magisterial districts across the state. The government has within the last six years created two additional judicial divisions and six additional magisterial districts to decongest courts. The governor also undertook a massive renovation of the State Judiciary Headquarters complex and the former DAD Building which was consequently converted to the State Ministry of Justice Headquarters. He established the Multi-Door Court House in Enugu and on June 12, 2020, commissioned a modern complex of eight Magistrate Court Halls and another complex of two High Court Halls with one Open Registry at Nsukka Judicial Division. These reecho Governor Ugwuanyi’s unquestionable desire for speedy, effective and efficient dispensation of justice, at the urban centres and the hinterlands. Multi-Door Court for mediation has also been set up to achieve amicable and seamless resolutions of some cases without necessarily passing through the hurdle of litigation. Lawyers from the ministry of Justice are now constantly attached to courts to ensure steady representation and expedited judgements.
Encomiums deservedly need to be poured on the Bench, ably led by the Chief Judge of the State, Hon Justice Ozoemena, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Meletus Eze, and the Bar of Enugu chapter, for their resilience when put on trial. All these achievements were only possible because of the relentless efforts, sacrifices and solid foundations laid by the retired Chief Judge of the State, Justice N. P Emehelu. Greed and avarice are always the banana peels whose predilection of recyclability remains a blight upon the majesty of our democracy .The role of Judges in a democracy is an enviable one and in fact sacred. Judges are like viceroy of God on earth. While Judicial officers must essentially exhibit high degree of diligence, unquestionable competencies, uncompromising sense of discipline, an untainted level of probity, impeccable integrity, unscathed transparency and glaring incorruptibility; the Executive must never, in any circumstance, employ coercion in the guise of anti-corruption crusade against the Judiciary. It’s axiomatic that the Bar is the major casualty of an attack on the Judiciary. Therefore, the battalion of the Bar must advance with a steadied resolve not to relent in performing its role as the “guardian angel” of the Independence of democracy. The Bar must fight with fervour and pursue with resilience the cause of justice without succumbing to intimidation. It’s only if the Bar and the Bench abdicate their utilitarian roles that the Judiciary can be realistically placed under siege.
Even as the most unscrupulous naysayers and hirelings will easily concede to Ugwuanyi’s glittering credentials in the Judicial sector, more efforts are still needed to firmly accentuate the arrival of his name in the Hall of fame.
Without prejudice to Covid-19 protocols, the newly recruited and sworn in customary court chairmen and members are very crucial in dispensing justice. Appointments of more High Court judges renowned for their dexterity and unwavering integrity, and the employment of stenographers highly skilled in transcription of speeches will provoke expeditious conclusions of cases if justice is to be served early. Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Enugu State will be effectively implemented if Judges, Magistrates, Police and other institutional stakeholders in the administration of criminal justice system are properly trained and periodically retrained, while the members of the public are constantly sensitized on the provisions of the aforementioned Law. If a monitoring committee is specifically set up by the Chief Judge for the implementation and enforcement of compliance of this Law (ACJL), it will definitely inspire the birthing of an improved image-narrative for the State, nay the Nation . The magistrates are enjoined to regularly pay visits to custodial centres (police cells, DSS, NDLEA, etc) to ensure that they are not in dehumanising conditions and to ascertain the reasons behind detentions as well as detect human rights abuses.
Towards consolidating social justice in Enugu State, closing chasms of inequality across the strata of society and fueling sustainable economic prosperity, Governor Ugwuanyi is instituting a new culture of accountability and transparency in governance; strengthening the state’s Judiciary via enabling environment for a sweeping reform and deploying our patrimony for common good. Posterity will judge him justly as a hero of democracy and one of the founding fathers of a modern Judicial system; trademarked with inalienable independence, robust infrastructure and an unflagging commitment to fairness, equity and good conscience.
*Steve Oruruo is the Special Adviser to the Governor of Enugu State on Information*
ENUGU – A high-profile land dispute between the former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, and the Chief Executive Officer of Energy FM, Dr. Basil Kenechukwu Ogbuanu, has escalated into a legal firestorm following the alleged demolition of property worth hundreds of millions of naira.
At the heart of the crisis is a ₦5.8 billion claim brought by Dr. Ogbuanu against the elder statesman and his wife, Dr. Patricia Nwobodo. The Lagos-based businessman alleges that his investments at Patson Estate, Independence Layout, were not only secured through a deceptive web of shell companies but were eventually reduced to rubble while he was being “persecuted” through the criminal justice system.
The Demolition and the ₦5.8bn Bill
According to court filings obtained by our correspondent, Dr. Ogbuanu is seeking ₦820 million in special damages specifically for the destruction of his buildings and the loss of construction materials.
This is bolstered by an additional ₦5 billion claim in general damages for what he describes as emotional and psychological distress.
Ogbuanu’s legal team asserts that after obtaining all necessary building permits and government approvals, his development was allegedly targeted in early 2026.
The plaintiff claims that while he was being detained, earthmoving equipment—allegedly protected by police officers—leveled his structures and carted away materials worth millions.
A Web of Companies and “Conflicting Titles”
The plaintiff’s statement of claim paints a picture of a complex transaction involving multiple entities linked to the Nwobodos. Ogbuanu alleges he paid over ₦235 million for several plots (R/18 to R/22), initially dealing with Millennium Construction & Estate Developers Ltd.
However, the plot thickened when subsequent transactions were moved to Linkana Hotels Limited. A search at the Ministry of Lands later revealed a third entity, Moss Island Limited, held the actual title as of 2022.
“All the sales done in the name of Linkana had no authority because the property belonged to another company,” a source familiar with the case alleged.
The Counter-Suit: “No Enforceable Sale”
In a swift legal counter-move (Suit No. E/244/2025), Senator Jim Nwobodo and his wife have asked the court to declare that no valid or enforceable sale ever took place.
The former Governor maintains that Ogbuanu proceeded with construction despite being notified that titles were undergoing recertification due to government land-use changes.
Nwobodo claims he offered the investor a refund, which was rejected. He further alleges that Ogbuanu’s workers assaulted a police officer and “unlawfully confined” his wife during a site visit in January 2026.
The Failed Criminal Prosecution
While the civil suits loom, the Nwobodos suffered a legal setback on April 15, 2026. A Magistrate Court struck out criminal charges of conspiracy and assault filed against Dr. Ogbuanu.
His Worship D.K. Ekoh lambasted the complainants for a “lack of diligent prosecution,” noting that Dr. Patricia Nwobodo failed to appear in court to lead evidence.
The court consequently awarded ₦1 million in costs against her, with the Magistrate remarking that complainants who stay in “luxury homes” instead of proving their case must pay for the wrongful inconvenience caused to the defendants.
The Road Ahead
As it stands, the Enugu State High Court is set to become the battlefield for two conflicting narratives: one of an investor allegedly defrauded and his property demolished, and another of a prominent family defending their estate from “unauthorized building activities.”
By Petrus Obi
My recent trip to Nsukka was a memorable one which I felt should be shared with other road users.
Having been out of Enugu for sometime I returned to a town with visible changes and turnarounds.
As we we drove round town my friend Ejike (Fellas) would quickly point out some wonderful touches that have made the overall road rehabilitations in the state capital remarkable.
The issue of roads in Enugu is a topic for another day but one must not fail to appreciate the eloquent efforts of Governor Peter Mbah.
Back to our trip to Nsukka through the Ugwogo/Opi road. My friend was driving but I was the first to spot the Armoured Personnel Carrier at a corner as we approached the Opi end of the road which had in the past witnessed some criminal activities which had put fear on road users.
Armoured Personnel Carrier parked (l) on the Opi road
As though the first Armoured Personnel Carrier wasn’t enough, I spotted yet another one just after one of the sharp bends. I had no option than to ask my friend to park.
I walked up to the policeman on the road to make some enquiries but he directed me to their commander who was dressed ‘battle ready’. I wasn’t just impressed with what I was seeing, I also felt as confident and secure as anyone will feel in a safe environment.
My enquiries revealed that the men on duty were from the Mopol 76 PMF, Enugu.
To say that the men deployed to this hitherto red spot on that road, must have been carefully selected; as my friend pointed out, was like repeating the obvious, because any road user who encountered these policemen will know that there’s a difference from other policemen one has been meeting. (Not in all situation anyway.)
These officers understood why they were posted to the area and refused to be distracted.
Apart from some officers who paraded the area with what looked like a highjack motorcycle, there were no necessary delay of vehicles on that road.
At no point on that road did we see more than one vehicle parked, for whatever reason. It was the normal police, ‘where are you coming from, why are you going, what do you have in your boot, and the traffic kept flowing.
Taking a step further in our findings we stopped at a nearby spot to enquire if the heavey security presence noticed was a one-off thing. It was reliably gathered that the security presence was a 24-hour service.
It was further revealed that the men on ground were relieved by a new team after every 48 hours.
My friend was quick to point out that the overall security network in the state has highly improved under the Governor Peter Mbah administration.
Initially we were in a hurry to return to Enugu in good time, but having seen what was on ground we couldn’t help but take out time to relax at a palm wine joint where the itching ears of this reporter eaves-dropped constantly on the beer parlour discussions that is usual in such spots.
Of importance, in the discussions was the issue of the Vice Chancellor position of the University of Nigeria, as well as the performance of the governor.
An elderly man who had already told his story of the Nigeria Civil War, the position of Nsukka people in politics, declared that the Governor is doing marvelously well. His declaration immediately earned him a free cup of palm wine from one of the guests, who later identified himself as a lecturer from Igboeze North Local Government Area.
With our full beams on, we drove back that night to Enugu with the same security team still in place, and vehicles going their different ways with every sense of confidence and security.
The ubiquitous presence of the Distress Response Service (DRS) must not be left out in this narrative.
In-fact we lost count of the number of DRS vehicles stationed on the road.
This is not just commendable but should be replicated in other states of the South East where crime like kidnapping still persists.
The police must also be commended just as the governor of Enugu State.
The deployment of two Armoured Personnel Carrier to the Opi end of that road speaks volumes towards the commitment of the governor to ensure the security of lives and property of the citizens.
By Ejeh Josh
In his classical work, “Do You Pass the Leadership Test?”, a Harvard business CEO, Bill Taylor, tersely captured the traits every successful leader must possess thus; “The true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action — an unconventional business strategy, a unique product-development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign — even as the rest of the world wonders why you’re not marching in step with the status quo. In other words, real leaders are happy to zig while others zag. They understand that in an era of hyper-competition and non-stop disruption, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something special.“
As I reflect upon this overarching quote by the renowned author, I could only draw a tiny imagery of how successful entrepreneurs disrupt and shatter the traditions, crack open the convention and take very unpopular decisions that end up in creating a new paradigm and establishing a novel trajectory in the straits of economic development. That’s a thought that struck me while I remember a brother and a leader and what he means to me and to humanity at large.
However, far from his entrepreneurial exploits and the many ceilings he had gallantly shattered to attain an enviable height in the private sector, for those who know him, either through direct connection or by extension of his goodwill, Hon Chidera Nwodo is an exemplary epitome of selflessness, self-sacrifice and compassion for humanity.
His life is a testimony of dedication to lifting others from the abyss of trial and freedom from the vacuous oppression of confusions and tyranny of the cold hand of reality. As far as people are happy, Chidera Nwodo will shift the post for them and establish a new frontier of hope for their wellbeing.
Whichever way one sees him, there is always that inner – perhaps – innate connection of a shining light that never ceases. It’s a light wrapped in a flame of grace, love, and sacrifice. That’s what many of us have seen, heard, and it’s probably going to be a testimony that will outlive the present time.
I am compelled, in good faith, to celebrate one of the leading entrepreneurs in Enugu State, with interests in real estate development and management, hospitality, entertainment, education and technology. This is the only gift I have to offer in deference to his personality as a bridge-builder; conferencing and networking across diverse cycles of investors, yet associating with men of lowly means.
He breaks the class barrier. Silent the boisterous wing of arrogance which will usually accompany success. In today’s Catholic’s first and gospel readings, from the Book of Wisdom 7:7-11 and Mark 10:17-30, we learned the significance of wisdom amidst stupendous wealth. Wisdom is even more profitable than wealth because it coheres with humility, genuine concerns for others, with detachment from the transient nature of materialism and the eternal principle of selfless sacrifice for humanity.
Hon Chidera Nwodo, popularly known as “Eze Omeogo”, a title accorded to him by the masses because of his philanthropic gesture and uncommon contribution to the development of the society, is the face of love, charity, friendship, trust and respect.
The Ubuntu philosophy of the sacrificial love of togetherness is all I have always seen in him for the past years when destiny crossed our path in a rather rude manner. That path is to later turn a path of blessing, and that relish of storytelling that can only be told with the patience that comes with a fine Ukehe palm wine and tasty nkwobi from Colliery Guest House and Garden aesthetically designed by nature where intelligent goat, native veggies, continental beaf and cow legs, vegetable chicken, assorted bush meat, and roasted fish compliment the folklore.
Happy birthday to the man of the people. Congratulations.
In a shocking turn of events, the much-anticipated airdrop from crypto-mining app, Hamster Kombat, which had been trending for months, has left thousands of Nigerians in uproar.
After five long months of continuous tapping to earn rewards, users expected substantial payouts promised by the coin’s promoters—some dreaming of becoming millionaires.
However, as the coin finally launched on Thursday, the reality hit hard: instead of the massive financial rewards users had been led to believe, payouts ranged from a mere 1 to 4 dollars.
Unconfirmed reports about the highest earner so far ranged from 7 to 17 dollars.
Social media is ablaze with frustrations, as disgruntled users lament receiving as little as ₦2.75 for their efforts.
The campaign, which had promised to turn everyday Nigerians into billionaires and CEOs, has instead sparked widespread disappointment and anger.
Nigerians have taken to various platforms to express their outrage, accusing Hamster Coin of misleading them.
The once-hopeful community of tappers is now filled with “tears and wailings,” as what was supposed to be a life-changing opportunity has turned into a bitter letdown.
Hamster Kombat came to life in March 2024.
On Thursday afternoon, the official X account, #hamster_kombat, announced the coin’s long-awaited launch.
It read, “THE MOMENT IS HERE
“$HMSTR trading has official begun! Congratulations, and to the moon, CEOs.
“On-chain is on. On-chain direct claim and balance withdrawal options are open. You can now transfer your tokens anywhere!”
A check to CoinMarketCap, reveals that the crypto asset was listed as HMSTR on number 114 at $0.008315 at at about 15.36pm on Thursday.
The market cap is valued at $535.3m and the volume since launch (in 24 hours) is $448.7m.
Nigeria, a nation once notorious for military rule, is marking 25 years of democracy, at a time when several of its West African neighbours have had coups in recent years.
The brass bands will play, the crowd will cheer and the president will make a speech – but outside of Wednesday’s official event many may be wondering what the celebration is really for.
“You cannot eat democracy” is a phrase often attributed to autocrats – but it has also been used by elected leaders as a warning about what a population might demand of them.
As many Nigerians struggle to earn enough to live on, amid an economic crisis and dramatically rising prices, some appear to be very unhappy with how they are being governed.
A survey by respected polling organisation Afrobarometer in 2022, before the current crisis, found that more than three-quarters of Nigerians surveyed were either “not very” or “not at all” satisfied with democracy.
A worrying statistic for Africa’s most populous country.
Nevertheless, the same survey found that a majority preferred democracy to any other system of governance.
Perhaps because the bitter memories of military rule still linger for many.
Since independence in 1960, the periods of civilian rule were short-lived with generals governing the country for most of the time up until 1999.
“A military coup will be almost impossible in Nigeria now,” historian Prof Kayode Soremekun said.
“The military itself has exhausted its own historic possibilities. Over time, the military has been shown to be as venal as the political class. So, the majority of Nigerians no longer see them as messiahs,” he added.
The military regimes were filled with pain and oppression, 59-year-old Adedeji Adekunle told the BBC.
Now an event planner, he recalled his experience as a student in early 1998.
“Years back, I joined a ‘military-must-go’ protest in [the main city] Lagos and soldiers attacked and arrested us. Many were tortured. It was a traumatic experience,” he said.
The period of military rule in the 1980s and 1990s was “marked by economic collapse, political repression and systematic human rights violations”, according to New York-based campaign group Human Rights Watch.
After the death of Nigeria’s head of state, Gen Sani Abacha in 1998, his successor, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar promised elections, ushering in a new era of civilian rule a year later.
“The return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999 raised a lot of expectations, dreams, and wishes for a free, secure, united, and peaceful country,” former Senator Shehu Sani said.
Mr Adekunle breathed a sigh of relief at the time.
“Many of us initially doubted if Gen Abubakar would hand over power, but after the election was held and the winner was announced, the atmosphere changed. It was like a fresh breeze blew on the nation.”
But for today’s youth, who were not politically aware or even born at that time, the folk memory of military rule is less important.
Current President, Bola Tinubu, in power for just over a year, is facing the challenge of winning over the hearts and minds of young Nigerians amid a tough economic environment, some of which is of his own making.
His ending of the fuel subsidy and allowing the currency to devalue have sent prices shooting up.
These ambitious reforms were aimed at stabilising the economy and fostering sustainable growth in the long term, but that is no succour for those most affected.
And taking the past 25 years in Nigeria as a whole, the fact that the average income per person has seen a more than four-fold increase is unimportant for many.
It is how they perceive the current situation that counts.
As a consequence some young Nigerians, such as 33-year-old screenwriter MI Thomas, would not mind a return to military rule.
‘’I have voted since I turned 18 and all of the leaders have disappointed, every single one of them. Military regimes are decisive. They take swift action and bring effectiveness to governance,’’ he said.
A number of other young Nigerians have expressed the same desire on social media.
What may have encouraged this could be a lack of trust in the political class due to unfulfilled promises.
But it could also be a rose-tinted view of the past, with people saying that there was not as much crime and corruption during military rule.
But some may have forgotten, for example, that the late Gen Abacha looted and stashed a huge amount of public funds overseas. At least $6bn (£4.7bn) in cash and assets have been recovered so far.
It would be expected that President Tinubu was particularly sensitive to talk of military rule as he himself was once imprisoned for pro-democracy activities.
Very soon after coming to power, the president was faced with dealing with the coup in neighbouring Niger and was quick to condemn it and threatened military action – however his bold rhetoric came to nothing.
But at home, for its part, the military leadership has said that it has no interest in retaking power.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Christopher Musa said in February that “people making such calls for a military takeover do not love Nigeria”.
“We want to make it clear that the armed forces of Nigeria are here to protect democracy. We all want democracy; we do better during democracy, and so, the armed forces will continue to support democracy.”
People have bitter memories of the time when Nigeria was ruled by Gen Sani Abacha, who died in office in 1998
There have been episodes in the past 25 years – such as when the whereabouts of late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua were unknown – that the military could have seized power, but nothing happened.
National lawmaker Senator Babangida Hussaini from Jigawa state in the north believes this is because reforms had been introduced to tame “the over-ambitious military and strengthen some institutions of governance and democracy”.
The senator admits that while “we may not have met the expectations of Nigerians… overall, we have made progress”.
There are also some, such as development studies professor Fidelis Allen, who have questioned whether the absence of military rule can be equated with true democracy.
Nigerians have voted at regular intervals since 1999 but there are still questions over whether those in office are truly accountable to the electorate in terms of how public money is spent, and if they are honest and open about their decision making.
Prof Soremekun believes that more work needs to be done to strengthen democracy.
“It is good in itself; but it must also deliver dividends to the Nigerian people,” he said.
And for those, like Mr Adekunle, who still remember military rule, there is no choice.
“Democracy is sweet, it offers people freedom. There’s nothing good with military governance.”
Source: BBC
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