Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, former Minister of State for Education and 2027 presidential aspirant, has criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing its style of governance as akin to “cartel behaviour” rather than effective government.
The comments were made during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
Nwajiuba said the handling of major national policy decisions exposed a fundamental failure in governance, asserting that certain actions by the federal administration reflected misplaced priorities and a consolidation of political and economic power among a few individuals.
“Who removes subsidy today and the next morning takes a loan to buy a yacht, renovate a vice-presidential house that is not lived in, travel abroad? This is not government. This is cartel behaviour,” he said.
He stressed that his criticism was not an allegation of ordinary corruption, but a broader indictment of what he described as gross incompetence and poor management of national affairs.
“I’m not talking about thievery. I’m talking about gross incompetence,” Nwajiuba said, highlighting his concerns about fiscal and policy choices by the current administration.
Nwajiuba’s remarks come as he intensifies his 2027 presidential campaign on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform. He reiterated his decision to contest the presidency, saying that the ADC was ready and positioned to build a broad coalition of Nigerians seeking change.
“I declared to run because we’ve come into 2026, the ADC is ready, the coalition has come into the ADC and the party is now set,” he said, noting that the party’s strategy focuses on grassroots mobilisation and attracting citizens dissatisfied with current governance.
He described the ADC’s approach as inclusive, aimed at combining experience, education and energy in its leadership cohort, and dismissed suggestions that the party was dominated by political heavyweights.
Nwajiuba acknowledged the presence of prominent figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai within broader opposition dialogues but emphasised the platform’s openness to younger and substantive voices.
Nwajiuba said his ambition is rooted in governance rather than activism, positioning his campaign as centred on offering practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
“I’m not a political activist. I’m a politician. We do this to run a government and make people’s lives work better,” he said, signalling his intent to pivot from critique to governance if elected.
His comments reflect broader debates within Nigeria’s political landscape about the performance and direction of the Tinubu administration and highlight the growing focus on election messaging as the 2027 general elections approach.
