As an ordained minister, prayer is an integral part of my life. I pray continually, and my siblings and I have a WhatsApp group where we gather twice a week to spend at least an hour in prayer. I strongly believe in the power of prayer and have witnessed firsthand the tremendous power that comes through heartfelt, persistent supplication.
But, Mr President, with all due respect, Nigeria is bleeding, Nigerians are hurting, and the nation you were elected to lead is crying out for action. Yet, once again, you are heading to Makkah to pray for the country.
Yes, prayer is important. Faith matters. Seeking Allah’s guidance is a personal right that must be respected. But an uncomfortable question remains: Who will fix Nigeria while the President is praying for it?
Nigerians did not elect you merely to pray for the country’s peace, unity, and prosperity. They elected you to pursue these goals through decisive leadership, sound policies, responsible governance, and measurable results.
Mr President, Nigeria elected you to lead, not just to pray
Let us be honest: Nigerians are tired of promises. They are tired of explanations. They are tired of being told to endure while the cost of survival continues to rise. For millions of families, life has become a daily struggle against hunger, unaffordable food, expensive transportation, unemployment, insecurity, and diminishing hope.
Parents are struggling to feed their children. Young graduates are desperately searching for jobs. Small businesses are fighting to stay afloat. Families are watching their incomes lose purchasing power as basic necessities become increasingly unaffordable.
For these Nigerians, the crisis is not merely a headline. It is a meal they cannot afford, rent they cannot pay, medicine they cannot buy, and insecurity they cannot escape.
And in the middle of this national struggle, the President is travelling to pray.
The question is not whether you should pray, Mr President. Pray if you must. Worship as your faith requires. Seek divine wisdom as often as you wish.
But do not confuse praying for Nigeria with governing Nigeria. They are not the same thing.
Nigeria Needs More Than Prayers. It Needs Performance!
A hungry citizen needs affordable food, not another speech about hope.
An unemployed graduate needs meaningful opportunities, not another promise of a brighter future.
A farmer threatened by insecurity needs protection, not merely prayers for peace.
A struggling business owner needs a stable economic environment, not endless explanations about difficult reforms.
And a family crushed by the rising cost of living needs policies that ease its suffering, not assurances that things will eventually get better.
Prayer can give people hope, but governance must give that hope a fighting chance.
You cannot pray unemployment away without creating an environment where businesses can grow, investments can thrive, and jobs can flourish. You cannot pray insecurity away without strengthening security institutions, protecting vulnerable communities, improving intelligence gathering, and holding those responsible for violence accountable.
You cannot pray hunger away without addressing food production, distribution, affordability, and the economic pressures crushing household budgets.
These challenges require sound decisions, competent administration, urgency, and, above all, responsible leadership.
Nigeria needs a President who will not only kneel before God but also stand firmly against the problems confronting the nation.
The Presidency Is Not A Prayer Group
Mr President, the Nigerian presidency is a constitutional office, not a spiritual retreat. It comes with enormous powers, substantial public resources, and equally enormous responsibilities.
You sought the people’s mandate. You asked Nigerians to entrust you with the country’s future. That mandate carries an obligation to serve every Nigerian, regardless of religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, or social status.
The presidency is not a private pulpit. It is a public trust.
And public trust demands accountability.
When citizens complain about hardship, they are not necessarily attacking your faith. When they question your policies, they are not insulting your religion. When they demand results, they are exercising their democratic rights.
A President must be willing to face uncomfortable questions because the people who elected him are the same people who must live with the consequences of his decisions.
Millions of Nigerians prayed for a better country before the election, and many continue to pray today. But they are also asking when their hopes will begin to translate into improvements in their daily lives.
They want to know when leadership will bring relief, when reforms will deliver tangible benefits, and when government promises will become measurable improvements in their standard of living.
They deserve answers. More importantly, they deserve results.
When You Return, Let Nigerians See The Difference
There is nothing inherently wrong with travelling to Makkah for Umrah. The President, like every other citizen, has the right to practise his religion.
However, the timing and symbolism of a leader’s actions matter, especially when citizens are enduring severe economic hardship and persistent insecurity.
A journey intended for spiritual reflection should be accompanied by renewed determination to confront the country’s challenges.
When you return, Mr President, Nigerians should see more than a resumption of presidential activities.
They should see stronger action against insecurity. They should see serious efforts to ease the cost of living. They should see policies that expand employment opportunities, improve public services, support businesses, and protect the most vulnerable.
They should see a government willing to listen, correct its mistakes, and treat the suffering of ordinary citizens as an urgent national priority.
Do not return with prayers alone. Return with a clear plan, a renewed sense of urgency, measurable commitments, and the political will to deliver.
Nigerians cannot eat political promises. They cannot pay school fees with presidential speeches. They cannot secure their communities with good intentions.
The country needs results, not rituals offered as a substitute for results.
Mr. President, History Will Ask What You Did
Presidents are not remembered merely for the prayers they offered or the religious journeys they undertook. They are judged by the condition of their countries, the opportunities they created, the institutions they strengthened, and the lives they improved.
Your administration will ultimately be judged by what Nigerians experience under your leadership.
Did families find life more affordable? Did citizens become safer? Did young people gain meaningful opportunities? Did public institutions function better? Did the government restore confidence in the possibility of a better future?
These are the questions that will define your legacy.
You may pray for Nigeria’s prosperity, but you must also create the conditions necessary for prosperity. You may pray for peace, but you must also pursue security with determination. You may pray for unity, but you must also govern fairly, uphold justice, and give citizens genuine reasons to believe in the promise of one Nigeria.
Faith can inspire leadership, but it cannot excuse a failure to lead.
Mr President, the people are watching. The hungry are waiting. The unemployed are waiting. Those living in fear are waiting. Struggling families who believed in the promise of democratic leadership are waiting.
They do not expect you to perform miracles. They expect you to perform your duties.
And that is not too much to ask of a President.
The Final Word
Tinubu, go to Makkah if you must. Pray for Nigeria. Seek Allah’s guidance. Ask for wisdom, strength, and the courage to make the right decisions.
But when you return, remember the mandate you sought and the millions of people whose lives are affected by your leadership.
Remember the market woman counting every naira. Remember the parent wondering how to feed the family. Remember the graduate searching endlessly for work. Remember the farmer afraid to enter the field. Remember the citizen who wants nothing more than to live safely, earn an honest living, and provide for loved ones.
These Nigerians need more than your prayers. They need the benefits of effective leadership.
Nigeria is not short of people who pray. It is desperately in need of the results that competent, accountable governance should deliver.
Mr President, pray to Allah for wisdom, but use the authority Nigerians entrusted to you to do the work.
Pray for peace, but pursue security. Pray for prosperity, but implement policies that create opportunities. Pray for unity, but govern with fairness and justice. Pray for the people, but ensure that your decisions improve their lives.
At the end of the day, history will not ask only how many prayers you offered for Nigeria. It will ask what you did for Nigerians.
By Emmanuel Emeke Asiwe(EEA), Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
