The recent article by Chief MWA, “The Yoruba Paradox: Makers of Leaders, Masters of Betrayal,” raises important reflections on the Yoruba political tradition. Yet, it also calls for clarification of what true politics and democracy represent. Politics is not meant to be a chorus of praise-singers to those in office. Rather, it is about competition of ideas, policies, and personalities, presented through parties, so that citizens may choose freely. A single-party system is the pathway to dictatorship or military-style rule. A democracy can not survive without genuine opposition.
When an opposition figure such as Adewole Adebayo, mentioned in his article challenges President Bola Tinubu, it is neither betrayal nor hatred of kinship; it is simply politics in its purest form. If his comments appear harsh, they may be hurtful to those who support the president, but they remain legitimate expressions of an alternative vision. Even the President acknowledged such. That is the essence of multiparty democracy. Without it, Nigeria or any nation would not be different from authoritarian states where one man or one party dictates the nation’s destiny unchallenged.
At the state level across the federation, where ethnic groups are homogeneous, elections still hold and competition still thrives. In Oyo, Ogun, Kano, Sokoto, Enugu, and Anambra (states in Nigeria), candidates from the same ethnic stock contest against one another with fierce determination. Are these contests acts of betrayal? Certainly not. They are the lifeblood of democracy. The Yoruba face Yoruba in the South-West, just as Hausa-Fulani compete among themselves in the North, and Igbo politicians contest keenly in the South-East.
Political ambition is not extinguished by shared ethnicity or language; if it were, there would be no elections in states dominated by a single group.
Even during Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency, Northern politicians openly criticised him, many with ambitions to succeed him. In 2023, his kinsmen stood against one another in various parties’ (including his own) primaries, each seeking the highest office. That is politics — ambition tested on the field of democracy, not betrayal. Likewise, in the East, Igbo political leaders have not spoken with one voice on the national stage; many have contested against one another for the same seats of power. The reality is that Nigerians across all regions compete with their own when political opportunity arises.
It is, therefore, not wholy accurate to describe Yoruba political competition as self-destructive betrayal. Rather, it is democracy in motion — messy, noisy, often bruising, but ultimately healthy for the nation. It can be an Omo-oluwabi ooo..
What would truly be dangerous is a silence where citizens and politicians alike refuse to oppose, critique, or offer alternatives for fear of being called traitors. Without opposition, there can be no accountability, and without accountability, democracy itself collapses.
The lesson for Nigeria or Africa is not to discourage opposition but to demand that such opposition be constructive, principled, and rooted in policies that serve the people. Political loyalty should not mean blind worship. It should mean defending national stability while allowing ideas to contend. Leaders and followers alike must realise that politics should be guided by principles and honour, not only personal gain or opportunism. When this balance is struck, democracy will flourish, and Nigeria and our dear African continent will progress.
Mentoring Cmdt. Alistair is a former Diaspora leader and international leadership expert at NIDMECORP.
