By
Nze David N. Ugwu
Introduction
Nigeria’s political space has been graced by many ailments, but none is as curious, tragic, and enduring as what I call “Presidential Dissociative Disorder” (PDD)—a condition where those who occupy the highest office of the land live in a separate reality from the people they govern. In psychiatry, dissociation refers to a detachment from reality; in Nigerian politics, it manifests as presidents who proclaim monumental achievements where the citizens see abject failure, who deliver speeches laced with prosperity promises while their people wade through deepening poverty, and who bask in imaginary glory while the nation sinks.
From Goodluck Jonathan with his “I have done well” mantra, through Muhammadu Buhari’s self-portrait as an incorruptible patriot who left Nigeria better than he met it, to Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s current insistence that his reforms are yielding fruit while inflation, hunger, and insecurity crush Nigerians—the pattern is unmistakable. Nigeria’s highest office seems to come with a mental bubble that isolates the president from the lived experiences of citizens.
This article traces the background of this affliction across three presidencies and asks the all-important question: is Nigeria trapped in a cycle where leaders are permanently dissociated from the truth of their own governance?
The Jonathan Delusion
When former President Goodluck Jonathan was voted out in 2015, many Nigerians felt a mixture of relief and uncertainty. Relief because his government had presided over an oil-boom era yet failed to build sustainable infrastructure, tame insecurity, or uplift millions from poverty. Uncertainty because his successor, Muhammadu Buhari, came with his own baggage.
Jonathan often insisted he had done exceptionally well. His ministers echoed him, listing roads, schools, and airports. Yet, Nigerians saw a country where:
- The Boko Haram insurgency escalated unchecked, with schoolgirls abducted in Chibok.
- Corruption flourished, epitomized by the oil subsidy scam and billions unaccounted for.
- The economy became more import-dependent, despite unprecedented oil revenues.
Jonathan’s disorder was his belief that Nigerians were simply blind to his “achievements.” His famous 2014 remark—“We are working, but Nigerians don’t appreciate”—captures the dissonance. He built a mental reality where criticism equaled sabotage, and opposition meant blindness to progress. This denial sowed the seeds for his electoral defeat.
Buhari’s Alternate Universe
If Jonathan’s disorder was mild denial, Buhari’s was severe dissociation bordering on hallucination.
Buhari inherited a battered economy, falling oil prices, and spiraling insecurity. But instead of tackling them with urgency, he cultivated an imagined Nigeria where he was winning on every front.
- On corruption, he proclaimed himself champion while his government was riddled with scandals—from Mainagate to the NNPC billions.
- On the economy, he boasted of diversifying into agriculture, yet food inflation skyrocketed and the naira collapsed to historic lows.
- On security, he declared Boko Haram “technically defeated” while banditry, kidnappings, and insurgencies spread like wildfire across every zone.
By the end of Buhari’s tenure, Nigeria had become the poverty capital of the world, foreign investors fled, and citizens queued for hours to buy petrol in an oil-producing country. Yet, the general maintained a dissociative calm, insisting he had done “exceptionally well.”
His farewell speeches were shocking in their detachment: he claimed he was leaving Nigeria safer, more prosperous, and more united than he met it. For Nigerians, it was like hearing a doctor declare a dying patient in perfect health.
Buhari’s PDD was not just a personal condition—it became an institutional contagion. Ministers and party loyalists repeated the same delusions, gaslighting citizens into questioning their own reality.
Tinubu’s Reality Distortion
Enter Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023, who campaigned as the man with a plan. His famous “Emi Lokan” declaration was less about vision and more about entitlement, but Nigerians—desperate for change—gave him the mandate.
From day one, Tinubu implemented drastic reforms: fuel subsidy removal and currency floatation. These policies, in theory, were bold and necessary. But in practice, they were reckless, poorly sequenced, and devoid of safety nets. The result:
- Petrol prices tripled overnight.
- Inflation soared beyond 30%.
- Hunger and poverty deepened.
- Middle-class Nigerians were wiped out.
Yet Tinubu speaks with the same dissociative tone as his predecessors. He insists his “tough decisions” are laying the foundation for prosperity, that foreign investors are trooping in, that Nigeria is on the path to greatness. Meanwhile, ordinary Nigerians cannot afford bread, parents withdraw children from school, and hospitals overflow with malnourished patients.
Tinubu’s PDD is fueled by grand pronouncements at international forums, where applause from foreign dignitaries reinforces his bubble. But applause abroad does not translate to relief at home. Like Jonathan and Buhari before him, Tinubu is increasingly living in a parallel Nigeria—one where his policies are working and only “detractors” fail to see it.
The Anatomy of Presidential Dissociative Disorder
So, what exactly is this Presidential Dissociative Disorder?
- Cognitive Bubble: The president and his circle consume only curated information that confirms success. Negative reports are dismissed as opposition propaganda.
- Performance Delusion: Every policy is declared a success, no matter its outcome. Metrics are invented, and achievements exaggerated.
- Blame-Shifting Reflex: Failures are always the fault of predecessors, global factors, or imaginary saboteurs.
- Gaslighting Governance: Citizens’ complaints are reframed as exaggerations. Leaders tell Nigerians they are “doing better” while citizens starve.
- International Validation Addiction: Foreign applause is mistaken for domestic legitimacy.
This disorder is dangerous because it robs leaders of the ability to self-correct. A president who believes he is succeeding has no incentive to change course.
The People’s Pain vs. The President’s Claims
Across the three presidencies, a striking contrast persists:
– Jonathan’s Claims: Steady progress, infrastructure boom, improved education.
– People’s Pain: Corruption, insecurity, squandering of oil wealth.
– Buhari’s Claims: Victory over corruption, economic diversification, enhanced security.
– People’s Pain: Mass poverty, unemployment, naira freefall, nationwide bloodshed.
– Tinubu’s Claims: Tough reforms, renewed hope, investor confidence.
– People’s Pain: Hunger, hyperinflation, job losses, despair.
This stark dissonance explains why Nigerians often joke about presidents “not living in this country.” Citizens see hunger; presidents see prosperity. Nigerians see hardship; presidents see reform.
Why PDD Thrives in Nigeria
- Over-centralization of Power: The presidency is so powerful that reality checks are few and far between.
- Praise-Singing Courtiers: Ministers, advisers, and party loyalists feed the president only flattery.
- Media Capture: State media paints a glowing picture, drowning out dissenting voices.
- Impunity Culture: Leaders know they face no consequences for failure.
- Low Citizen Trust: With weak civic pressure, presidents can sustain their delusions without revolt.
Conclusion: Breaking the Cycle
“Presidential Dissociative Disorder” is not just a joke—it is a serious governance disease. It explains why Nigeria keeps moving backward while leaders insist we are moving forward. The disorder blinds presidents to citizens’ pain, fosters bad policies, and robs the nation of honest self-assessment.
The question now is: will President Tinubu break the cycle, or will he sink deeper into the bubble of dissociation? Nigerians do not need imaginary achievements. They need affordable food, secure streets, functioning schools, and reliable healthcare. They need leaders who govern in reality, not fantasy.
Until we cure this affliction, every presidency will be another tragic episode in Nigeria’s long story of squandered hope.
NZE DAVID N. UGWU IS A MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT
