APC Betraying Nation’s Democratic Ideals: TNNRM Urges Nigerians to Rise for ‘People-Powered’ Rebirth by 2027

By Tgnews

As Nigeria marked Democracy Day, the Tafarkin Nasara National Rebirth Movement (TNNRM) issued a blistering critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, accusing it of betraying the nation’s democratic ideals and plunging millions into hardship.

In a statement signed by convener Salihu Garba Mama, the movement called for a “people-powered” rebirth by 2027, urging Nigerians to reclaim their democracy from elite impunity, political coercion, and systemic failures.

While President Tinubu delivered speeches celebrating his administration’s achievements, the TNNRM’s reflection framed Democracy Day as “a time for truth, not empty celebration.”

Millions of Nigerians are mourning the betrayal of these core ideals

Extending warm wishes to Nigerians amidst ongoing struggles, the movement highlighted the widespread grief over the erosion of democratic principles—justice, accountability, and economic dignity—that the nation’s heroes fought and died for.

“Millions of Nigerians are mourning the betrayal of these core ideals,” Mama stated, dismissing the president’s rhetoric as self-congratulatory and disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary citizens.

The TNNRM sharply criticized Tinubu’s focus on political defections, accusing the administration of shielding opposition figures from justice in exchange for loyalty. “This day is not about how many defectors join your camp for crumbs of patronage,” Mama declared.

This day is not about how many defectors join your camp for crumbs of patronage

“It is about how far your administration has strayed from the sacred democratic path our founding fathers envisioned—where power flows from the people, not from money, coercion, or cartel arrangements.”

The TNNRM argued that the APC government has deepened Nigeria’s crises and undermined democracy through multiple failures.

Despite billions allocated to security, Nigerians continue to face rampant kidnappings, killings, and displacement, with banditry, insurgency, and communal violence becoming normalized.

Is this the democracy we fought for?

The movement questioned whether the state is “complicit or helpless,” pointing to an untouched “military-industrial complex” that profits from chaos. “Is this the democracy we fought for?” Mama asked.

The 2023 fuel subsidy removal was another point of contention, described as a poorly executed policy lacking a human-centered approach.

Instead of redirecting savings into healthcare, education, or food production, the government left citizens grappling with skyrocketing transport costs, inflated food prices, and job losses.

The TNNRM accused elites who once monopolized fuel importation of now dominating pricing, leaving the masses to suffer.

Economic hardship has worsened under the APC, with the naira’s relentless decline, unaffordable food and cooking gas, and dangerously high youth unemployment. The movement decried Nigeria’s descent into “artificial scarcity, cartel exploitation, and policy chaos,” arguing that a resource-rich nation should not subject its people to such indignity.

Furthermore, the administration was accused of undermining democratic institutions, tolerating vote-buying, judicial manipulation, and opposition suppression. “Political dissent is branded as treason, while loyalty to the ruling party is rewarded with state machinery and immunity,” Mama stated, warning that these actions threaten the democratic process.

The true hope for democracy lies not in Aso Rock or political defectors but in “awakened citizens

Despite the grim assessment, the TNNRM struck a hopeful note, asserting that “Nigerians are not giving up.” The movement emphasized that the true hope for democracy lies not in Aso Rock or political defectors but in “awakened citizens” demanding transformative change.

It called for affordable food and fuel through transparent governance, security as a non-negotiable right, an independent Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure free and fair 2027 elections, an end to elite impunity in government and cartels, and a leadership rooted in justice and humility.

Invoking the sacrifices of Nigeria’s forefathers, who fought colonialism to secure freedom, the TNNRM rejected a democracy marred by “godfatherism, deceit, and dollarized politics.” Addressing Tinubu directly, Mama declared, “Mr. President, the shame is not in criticism—it is in abandoning the people who gave you the mandate.”

The TNNRM announced its official launch on June 15, inviting Nigerians to join a “truth-driven, God-guided, people-powered journey” toward the 2027 elections.

The movement aims to restore dignity, build unity, and reclaim Nigeria from what it described as the “jaws of tyranny.” “Democracy belongs to the people,” Mama declared. “Let 2027 be the year we prove it—with our votes, our voices, and our vision.”

Let 2027 be the year we prove it—with our votes, our voices, and our vision

As Nigeria commemorates 26 years of uninterrupted democracy, the TNNRM’s reflection has transformed Democracy Day into a moment of reckoning. With economic pressures mounting and trust in institutions waning, the movement’s call for a people-powered rebirth signals a growing demand for systemic change.

Whether this momentum will coalesce into a formidable challenge by 2027 remains uncertain, but the message resonates: Nigerians are ready to fight for the democracy their heroes envisioned.