Former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, has issued a strong critique of the persistent culture of destructive politics in Nigeria, urging political leaders to put the nation’s interest above party affiliations and rivalries.
In a statement on Saturday, 9th of August 2025, titled “The Politics of Destruction Must End,” Farounbi denounced the practice of opposing policies and projects not on their merit but solely to undermine political opponents, a trend he describes as treacherous and harmful to Nigeria’s development.
“Only in Nigeria do seasoned politicians boast—years after the damage has been done—that they opposed a president or a policy not because it was bad for the nation, but because it was ‘politics,’” Farounbi said. He criticized politicians who admit their relentless hostility toward the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan was driven by partisan animosity rather than national interest.
According to Farounbi, this form of “politics” is not genuine political engagement but “treachery wrapped in a party flag.” He warned that such destructive rivalry comes at a grave cost to ordinary Nigerians. “Every time leaders kill a good idea to deny their rivals a win, they’re not playing chess—they’re playing Russian roulette with the lives of 200 million people,” he emphasized.
Farounbi pointed to several examples where partisan politics have stalled progress, including the abandonment of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway because it was initiated by a rival government, the slowing down of power sector reforms due to fears of credit going to an opponent, and the shelving of critical security reforms ahead of elections. “This is not strategy, it is sabotage,” he declared.
Highlighting the cyclical blame between the two major parties—APC and PDP—Farounbi stressed that the true victims of these partisan battles are Nigerian citizens. “The losers were never the politicians—it was always Nigerians. We paid with potholes, blackouts, and lost opportunities while the political class cashed their allowances and laughed at the gullibility of the masses.”
He further reminded political leaders that infrastructure and reforms transcend party lines. “A road does not know if it was commissioned by APC or PDP before it carries traders to market. A working refinery doesn’t care which party cut the ribbon before it fuels the nation. Good policies should be above petty rivalries.”
The ambassador concluded with a call for a new era of politics in Nigeria—one where leaders applaud good policies regardless of their origin and place national progress above party interests. “The politics of destruction must end,” he insisted. “Our allegiance should be to Nigeria, not to the party logo or the godfather’s whisper.”
Farounbi also warned that history would judge harshly those who play political games with the future of the nation. “When the roll call is made, those who traded a nation’s progress for political points will not be remembered as clever but as reckless men and women.”
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