In a country of over 220 million resilient souls, the loudest cry echoing through the streets of Lagos, the red soil of Enugu, the marketplaces of Ibadan, and the farmlands of Zamfara is no longer just for another politician in fine agbada. It is a desperate, thunderous call for a total system overhaul.
From Independence in 1960 to date, Nigeria has been stuck in a vicious cycle of “promising saviors” who vanish once power is secured. Political alliances come and go like traveling circuses — filled with recycled faces, fake unity songs, and hastily sewn agbadas.
In the last general election alone, over 93 million Nigerians registered to vote, yet only around 27% participated. Why? Because the average citizen has lost faith. They know the dance: Big names come together, share power behind closed doors, sign “gentleman agreements” no one ever reads, then re-emerge every four years to chant “change”, “renewed hope”, or “rescue mission” — but the pain on the streets remains.
While politicians dine in five-star hotels and cruise around in convoys, over 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Inflation is at a record high, with food inflation hitting over 40%, and youth unemployment climbing above 33%.
Nigeria’s real problem has never been a lack of coalitions or alliances — it is the absence of a true Coalition of the Masses. Imagine this: a movement of 50 million strong-willed Nigerians, transcending tribe, religion, and social class. A force made up of market women in Onitsha, tech innovators in Yaba, truck drivers in Kano, students in Jos, and artisans in Warri — all bound by a shared vision: to take back power from a few selfish elites and rebuild the nation from the ground up.
This coalition would not be a WhatsApp group of frustrated youths ranting in echo chambers. It would be a nationwide movement that owns the political process, not just influences it. It would be a structure that places high demands on politicians and insists on accountability, transparency, and concrete results.
Imagine a coalition so powerful that any politician who wants their vote must present a detailed plan for jobs, food security, healthcare, energy reform, and security — and then deliver, or be thrown out.
It doesn’t stop there. If no existing political party can meet these standards, this people-powered coalition could adopt or build an entirely new party that mirrors its dreams and goals. A party that reflects the anger of the unemployed graduate, the hunger of the farmer, the frustration of the small business owner, and the lost hope of the mother whose child died in a poorly funded hospital.
The #EndSARS protests gave Nigerians a glimpse of what is possible when the masses unite. In those weeks, the establishment trembled. A decentralized, youth-driven movement rose without any traditional leadership — only a burning desire to end police brutality and injustice. Though it was brutally crushed, it planted a seed: the realization that the people hold real power when they choose to wield it.
History teaches us that no country has ever truly transformed by relying solely on the “purity” of new politicians. Egypt’s Tahrir Square, South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle, and Ghana’s democratic rebirth all succeeded because the people took ownership of the process and demanded more.
In Nigeria today, many dream of a savior, a mythical “clean” candidate who will magically sweep away corruption. But no such angel is coming. Only a coalition of determined, awakened citizens can force a genuine rebirth.
We must stop waiting for a spotless knight in shining agbada to descend from the skies. We must be willing to pick up the tool, however dirty, clean it, sharpen it, and use it to rebuild the house that is crumbling over our heads.
Until a Coalition of the Masses rises — a movement that demands and enforces change, that is ready to fire leaders who fail and reward those who deliver — Nigeria will keep dancing to the same tired tunes played by the same recycled DJs.
The time to act is now.The time to stop clapping for empty promises is now. The time to take back Nigeria, street by street, ballot by ballot, is now.The destiny of Nigeria belongs not to a few godfathers or billionaire donors, but to the millions who endure daily hardship, yet still dare to dream.
It is time to build that coalition. Or else, the dream of a “New Nigeria” will remain exactly that — a dream.
