“When a man is cursed by the gods, they strip him of peace, deny him sleep, and turn him into a midnight town crier shouting at his own reflection.” — African Proverb
This timeless African proverb perfectly frames the curious episode Nigerians witnessed late on Christmas Day, precisely at 11:34 p.m., when an opinion article titled “Is Tinubu Relocating Nigeria’s Capital to Lagos, Piece by Piece?” was amplified on social media by a former governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. At a moment traditionally reserved for rest, reflection, gratitude, and goodwill, when families across Nigeria were travelling freely, markets were lively, fuel queues conspicuously absent, and homes were filled with laughter, food, and prayer, one political actor appeared unable to find peace. Instead of joining millions of Nigerians in enjoying one of the calmest festive seasons in recent memory, he chose to resurface old grievances and push a narrative built more on suspicion than substance.
This rejoinder is not written to trade insults or escalate personal animosities. It is written to restore facts, logic, and perspective—calmly, clearly, and comprehensively. In an era where misinformation spreads faster than reason, silence in the face of deliberate distortion can be costly. Context matters, and so do motives.
The Midnight Amplification and the Question of Conviction
The article in question was not authored by El-Rufai himself. He merely amplified it. This distinction is important. In democratic discourse, those with conviction put their names behind their arguments, defend them openly, and subject themselves to scrutiny. Those unsure of their footing often outsource their thoughts, hide behind proxies, and distribute controversial opinions indirectly. If the claims contained in that article were truly grounded in verifiable facts and sound constitutional reasoning, nothing would have prevented the former governor from writing, signing, and defending them personally.
The timing also matters. Christmas night is symbolically associated with peace, goodwill, and unity. Choosing that moment to promote a divisive narrative suggests restlessness rather than responsibility. It signals a discomfort with current political realities rather than a genuine concern for national interest.
Nigeria’s Capital: Law, Constitution, and Reality
At the heart of the article lies a provocative claim: that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is quietly relocating Nigeria’s capital from Abuja to Lagos. This assertion collapses under the slightest factual scrutiny.
Nigeria’s capital remains Abuja—legally, constitutionally, and practically. The President lives and works in Abuja. The Presidential Villa is in Abuja. The National Assembly legislates in Abuja. The Supreme Court adjudicates from Abuja. Foreign embassies, high commissions, and diplomatic missions are domiciled in Abuja. No constitutional amendment has been proposed to change the capital. No bill has been debated in the National Assembly. No executive order has been issued. No referendum has been contemplated.
In short, nothing—absolutely nothing—supports the claim that Nigeria’s capital is being relocated.
What the article does, quite deliberately, is conflate administrative efficiency with constitutional change. These are not the same. Improving how federal institutions function is not equivalent to moving the seat of government.
Lagos as an Economic Hub: A Historical Reality, Not a Tinubu Invention
Lagos has been Nigeria’s commercial and economic nerve centre for decades—long before Bola Ahmed Tinubu became president. This was true under military regimes and civilian administrations alike: Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan, and Buhari. Banks, ports, airlines, manufacturers, multinational corporations, and financial markets have historically clustered around Lagos due to its geography, infrastructure, and access to global trade routes.
This phenomenon is not unique to Nigeria. In the United States, New York is the financial capital, yet Washington, D.C. remains the political capital. In South Africa, Johannesburg is the economic hub, while Pretoria is the administrative capital and Cape Town the legislative capital. No serious analyst interprets these arrangements as “secret capital relocations.”
Federal Agencies and Operational Logic
Agencies like the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Bank of Industry (BoI) operate within economic ecosystems. Lagos airports handle the majority of Nigeria’s passenger and cargo traffic—a statistical reality that predates the current administration. Locating key operational decisions closer to where activity is concentrated improves efficiency, coordination, and cost-effectiveness.
Similarly, Nigeria’s banking and financial services sector is overwhelmingly concentrated in Lagos. Aligning regulatory and supervisory functions with operational realities is standard global practice. It does not diminish Abuja’s status nor elevate Lagos to a constitutional capital.
The Bank of Industry’s engagement with Lagos-based industrial clusters follows the same logic. Industries, factories, and supply chains are heavily concentrated along the Lagos–Ogun–Oyo industrial corridor. Proximity enhances effectiveness. Federal mandate, funding, and national reach remain unchanged.
The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway: Geography Is Not Politics
Perhaps the most intellectually troubling aspect of the article is its criticism of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway as evidence of regional favoritism. The question practically answers itself: where else would a coastal highway be built if not along the coast?
Nigeria’s coastline runs through the South-West and South-South. The North, by geography, has no coastline. Geography is not discrimination. Nature is not political. A shoreline project cannot be expected to appear in landlocked regions. The highway is designed to address coastal erosion, facilitate maritime trade, boost tourism, connect coastal states, and unlock long-term economic value for the entire country.
At the same time, massive federal investments continue in the North—roads, rail projects, agricultural interventions, power infrastructure, and disproportionate security spending due to ongoing insurgency and banditry. These facts are often omitted because they undermine the grievance narrative.
Budget Distortions and Economic Misrepresentation
Another recurring tactic in the article is the misuse of figures—comparing the cost of long-term, multi-state federal infrastructure projects to the annual budgets of individual states. This comparison is fundamentally dishonest. Federal projects are designed to last decades, serve millions across multiple states, and stimulate national productivity. State budgets primarily fund salaries, pensions, healthcare, education, and local services.
By the article’s logic, no nation should ever build highways, railways, dams, or power plants, because such projects inevitably exceed subnational budgets. That is not economic reasoning; it is populist manipulation.
Selective Concern and Political Amnesia
The article suddenly discovers poverty, insecurity, displacement, and low literacy rates in Northern Nigeria. These challenges did not emerge overnight, nor did they begin under President Tinubu. Many of the loudest critics today were influential actors in previous administrations, shaping policies and priorities.
To speak as though northern suffering is a new revelation is political amnesia. One cannot preside over policy failures, contribute to structural decline, and later assume the role of a shocked bystander. Accountability requires honesty about the past.
The Real Danger: Weaponising Geography and Identity
The most troubling aspect of the narrative is not its factual weakness, but its intent. It reduces governance to ethnic arithmetic and development to regional rivalry. It seeks to pit North against South, Lagos against the rest of Nigeria, and geography against unity. This is not statesmanship; it is mischief born of political frustration.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approach to governance is pragmatic. Institutions are being positioned to function effectively. Investments are guided by economic logic and geography. The economy is stabilising. Fuel supply has improved. Market confidence is recovering. Security operations are yielding measurable results. These realities are uncomfortable for those whose political relevance is waning.
Conclusion: Capital Relocation or National Renewal?
Nigeria’s capital is not being relocated. Nigeria is being restructured for efficiency and growth. The difference matters.
When power slips away, some fight facts. When arguments fail, some hire surrogates. When peace proves elusive, some choose midnight agitation over daylight engagement. Meanwhile, millions of Nigerians are travelling, trading, celebrating, worshipping, and reconnecting with hope.
That lived reality—not anonymous opinion pieces—is the strongest rebuttal of all.
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