Tinubu and his “Egypt” metaphor

Detailed summary

An analysis of President Tinubu’s use of the “Egypt” metaphor to justify fuel subsidy removal, arguing he is more like Pharaoh than Moses to Nigerians. Read More:…

Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, seems fascinated with Egypt as a metaphor and throws it around during his political campaigns. While speaking at an event last month, he justified removing fuel subsidies, saying Nigeria would have gone bankrupt if they had been retained. Responding to his opponent Atiku Abubakar, who had promised to restore the subsidies if elected as president, Tinubu stated, “I remember my scripture studies, both in the Bible and in the Holy Quran. When Moses and Musa left Egypt, they faced a challenge, and the Red Sea parted and gave way.

Anyone who has read the story of Moses would understand why Tinubu chose this metaphor, and why he repeats it like the last song the deaf heard. It is universally familiar and relatable. All he needs to do is state it, and our minds will fill in the rest of the details about a people who walked out of bondage, relating the account to ourselves. Beyond the immediate recognition, it can evoke an emotional response. Tinubu expects anyone who has ever heard a preacher exegete brilliantly on the story of the Hebrews who walked out of slavery, or prayed fervently with the verses of scripture that narrate that account, to transfer the feelings they derived from the experience to him.

When you look at the analogy closely, Nigerians are classifiable as the Israelites enslaved by a king who disregarded the arrangement that previously made them a welcome minority in Egypt. As their numbers grew, it alarmed the Egyptians, who feared they might side with their enemies in case of war. They came up with a scheme to break their backs and spirits, and they put them to the rigorous task of slave labor. In this story, Tinubu is no Moses. He is, in fact, more suited to the character of Pharaoh the enslaver who sought to diminish the children of God by placing heavy burdens on them.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Punch. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.