A video has surfaced showing a long line of campaign vehicles. They were donated to the president’s re-election campaign in Ogun State and the governor’s. The vehicles are new. They are branded. They are numerous. The critic, Olamide Obe, asked a simple question. “Are there up to 50 ambulances in the entire Ogun State public health sector?” He said he saw the list of donors. “All I could do was sigh.” He added: “Rather than ask questions, Nigerians would rather hail them. Nigerians deserve the leaders they have.”
Campaign donations are a fixture of Nigerian politics. In 2022, donors gave vehicles, cash and logistics to presidential campaigns. In 2023, similar donations flowed. The vehicles are often displayed at rallies. They signal support. They also raise questions. Where do the donors get the money? What do they expect in return? In Ogun State, the pattern is familiar. The state has faced criticism over healthcare funding. Public hospitals lack equipment. Ambulances are scarce. Response times are slow. The contrast between campaign fleets and public health infrastructure is stark.
The critic’s question is rhetorical. It is also pointed. Ogun State has a population of over 5 million. Its public health system serves millions. Ambulances are a basic requirement. If the state has fewer than 50, that is a failure. The donated campaign vehicles are not ambulances. They are for political mobilisation. They serve a different purpose. But the comparison matters. It exposes priorities.
Nigerians often celebrate donations. They see generosity. They do not ask about the source. They do not ask about the trade-off. The critic’s frustration is directed at that reflex. He says Nigerians deserve the leaders they have because they do not demand accountability.
The donors are not named in the video. Their motives are unclear. Campaign donations are legal. They are also political investments. The donors may expect contracts, appointments or influence. That is the nature of patronage politics.
Winners: The campaign, which gains vehicles. The donors, who gain access. The politicians, who gain visibility. Losers: Ogun residents, who lack ambulances. Patients, who face delays. Taxpayers, whose priorities are questioned. The critic, who is dismissed as cynical. Nigerians, if the pattern continues.
Bottom Line: A fleet of campaign vehicles. A shortage of ambulances. The contrast is the story. Nigerians hail donors. They should ask questions. Accountability starts with inquiry.