By Ayuba Mohammed Bello
In every nation, there exists a class of elders whose voices carry not just the weight of age but the burden of integrity, history, and moral courage.
In Northern Nigeria, names like Buba Galadima, the Emir of Daura, and Sheikh Yahaya Jingir were once regarded as such — custodians of conscience, unbending in the face of political convenience.
But today, a disturbing transformation is unfolding before our eyes, leaving many Nigerians wondering: what happened to some of our elders?
In recent months, these once-vocal critics and independent-minded leaders have become unexpected praise-singers of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. Not out of conviction or principle, but in what many suspect is the seductive influence of that now infamous phrase — “Tinubu Dollars.”
Once a symbol of resistance, Buba Galadima now sounds increasingly like a rented megaphone, making public pronouncements that are not only inconsistent with his political history, but glaringly disconnected from the economic realities of the Nigerian masses. For decades, Galadima was a firebrand — one of the last men standing in the face of injustice.Today, he seems more interested in political acrobatics than public accountability.
Then came the jarring remarks from the Emir of Daura — the hometown of the late President Muhammadu Buhari. Known for his quiet nobility and aloofness from partisan affairs, the Emir recently praised Tinubu in a manner that many found unbecoming of a royal father. To some in the North, his words felt less like statesmanship and more like a royal marketing pitch.
And perhaps most surprising of all was the consistent tone-deaf blessing from Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, who in the past had been uncompromising in his rebuke of corrupt leadership. His newfound warmth towards the Tinubu government — at a time when inflation, insecurity, and fuel price hikes are ravaging the nation — struck many as both untimely and unholy.
Is It Age, or Is It Money?
Skeptics point to the fact that all three men are approaching or have surpassed the age of 80. Could it be that the twilight of age has dulled their moral edge? Or is this truly the result of Tinubu’s strategic deployment of patronage politics, famously dubbed “Tinubu Dollars” — a metaphor for money-induced loyalty?
Whatever the case, the outcome is clear: these endorsements are not earning them new respect; they are eroding the reverence they once commanded. Instead of influencing public opinion in favor of the government, their statements have sparked backlash, disappointment, and mockery — especially from young Northerners and educated elites who feel betrayed.
In a region where elders were once revered for their wisdom and detachment from transient politics, this shift toward transactional loyalty is both tragic and telling.
What we are witnessing is not just the moral collapse of individuals, but the slow dismantling of an entire value system — one where truth once mattered more than money, and dignity outweighed political access.
Leadership is not just about power; it is about influence with integrity.
These men were not elected officials. Their value lay in the trust people placed in them as guardians of public morality. When they sell that trust — whether for comfort, access, or relevance — they don’t just compromise themselves; they weaken the social fabric of the nation.
“Tinubu Dollars,” whether real or symbolic, may have purchased endorsements. But it has not bought back the hearts of the people. It has not built roads. It has not fed the hungry or comforted the displaced. It has only fed cynicism.
This op-ed is not written to slander our elders, but to call them to reflection.
At their age, they should be preparing for legacy, not lobbying for favors or whatever is The reason for their sudden changes in behaviour. The North needs elders who speak truth to power like they use to be— not pensioners of patronage.
And Nigeria, in this dark hour, needs moral courage more than ever.
May God guide us all.
And may our elders remember that history is watching — and it forgets nothing.
