Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, has delivered a sharp critique of Nigeria’s governance, warning of what he described as excessive foreign influence and declining domestic accountability.
In a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Odinkalu used satire to highlight what he sees as the troubling direction of national administration.
“In Nigeria: America is in charge of security. France is in charge of taxes. UAE is in charge of healthcare. Screwdriver guy in Onitsha oversees intelligence. officialABAT is in charge of defections to OfficialAPCNg,” he wrote.
Through the post, Odinkalu linked key sectors of national life to foreign governments or controversial local actors, suggesting that Nigeria’s sovereignty and institutional independence are being steadily eroded.
He implied that the country’s security architecture is heavily shaped by the United States, while France exerts outsized influence over tax-related matters. According to him, healthcare policies increasingly favour the United Arab Emirates, reflecting a broader dependence on external interests.
While not presenting these claims as official positions or verified facts, Odinkalu framed them as a pointed criticism of policy choices and governance priorities under the current administration.
He also took aim at Nigeria’s intelligence system, sarcastically referencing controversial reports involving an Onitsha-based individual allegedly linked to intelligence failures that preceded bombings in parts of Sokoto State.
In addition, Odinkalu accused President Bola Tinubu of presiding over and encouraging a wave of political defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that this trend undermines opposition parties and weakens democratic competition.
The former human rights commission boss employed humour and irony to convey deep frustration with the state of governance and concluded by alluding to the 2027 general elections, suggesting that the present political trajectory could significantly influence the outcome.
