Tunde Onakoya: The chess master versus the common people of Nigeria

 The common people of the federal republic of Nigeria are not happy with the perceived ‘saviour’ of the country, Tunde Onakoya for honouring the invite of the president of the country, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and for featuring in a photo with him. The common people of Nigeria have preferred to hurl insults at the 31-year-old chess master for failing to disregard the president’s invite and pick a stance with the common struggle of his fellow countrymen.

The conversation pertaining to the recent controversy has been ongoing since Tuesday, June 10, and it has instigated conundrum on social media. Pundits and social media commentators have aired their various opinions about the issue online and content creators have been given new topics to discuss in the latest episodes of their various podcasts.

Its the chess master versus the common people, no one would have imagined that a personnel who has tried so hard to save several young lads from the trenches and slums across Nigeria would be perceived as an antagonist amid the people who once applauded him for his brilliance, creativity and ability to create a global brand for himself through chess.

Tunde Onakoya and Bola Ahmed Tinubu

In this article, the author would discuss why the common people are infuriated by Tunde Onakoya’s actions and would also chastise them for failing to understand his own point of view. Life isn’t binary and everyone has a perspective to one singular moment.

Tunde Onakoya Meets Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Onakoya meets Tinubu

On Tuesday, Tunde Onakoya disclosed that he was a guest at the President’s office. While he was there, he also gifted the president a gold-platted chessboard, a honourable step to take as it shows that he doesn’t take the invitation for granted. 

Unfortunately, this singular would infuriate netizens and would immediately turn him into a villain- understandably so, Tunde Onakoya, a man of integrity and character is perceived to be endorsing the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a leader whose rulership has been met with predominantly negative reviews and criticism due to the economic hardship of the country. Though he is the president of Nigeria, his tenure is a mile away from being ostentatious, it hasn’t been glamorous- the prices of commodities have skyrocketed immensely, the nefarious sting of tribalism and nepotism has further infested the Nigerian system since he came into power and he has remained apathetic about the entirety of the adversity since he came into power in 2023.

It’s safe to say Nigerians want to quickly forget his tenure as it has brought them nothing but pain, hunger and inevitably, anger. Hence, seeing Tunde Onakoya, an emblem of hope in this generation share an image with Tinubu, pundits do not know what to make of it besides being disgusted and appalled by the contrasting personalities- one is seen to be a saint, the other, a villain who came into power through means that have been alleged to be manipulative, vicious and not so ‘honourable’.

The Common People: What They Should Understand

Chess In Slum Africa

People should understand that life isn’t a bed of roses and all things are not binary; simply put, Tunde Onakoya isn’t the puppet to the choices or the voices of the masses. He is a man of his own, therefore, the common people of Nigeria should come off their high horses and face their leaders instead. Wage war against your local government chairman, go face-to-face against the corrupt politicians, but, leave Tunde Onakoya out of it. He isn’t the enemy and shouldn’t be used as a punching bag not a scapegoat, he isn’t the cause of Nigeria’s ongoing conundrum. Instead, he has developed himself into a global brand who is one of the most influential persons in modern Nigeria. And his gift and ability to play chess has turned him into a nationwide phenomenon.

Onakoya has stood before kings and he has apparently built mere men, the so-called rejects who are often overlooked and subjugated by the heinous Nigerian system. Once again, Onakoya isn’t the enemy, he only honoured the president’s invite without form of attachment just like every other noble personnel or high-status individual has come across in the last two years of his life.

The common people of Nigeria should leave the chess master alone.

It is important to remind netizens and social media commentators that the common people of Nigeria didn’t necessarily help him to achieve his dreams of becoming a Guiness world holder in 2024, neither did Nigerians invest or build his Chess In Slum brand when he started. It was his dream, his aspirations and objective, therefore, he should be allowed to enjoy the live life on his own terms.

Conclusion: Do Great Things From A Small Place

Great things from a small place

It is important to note that Onakoya isn’t actually from a wealthy background himself, he emerged through the shanties of Ikorodu, Lagos state. He has stated it time and again how his parents almost made him give up on playing chess due to the myopic perspective most Nigerians have about the game both metaphorically and literally. No one understood the image featured behind the eyes of Onakoya, hence, they tried to dim it, however, he preserved his objective and methodologically achieved his goals gradually.

While trying to achieve his objective, Onakoya amassed a new fanbase, those who first heard about him after becoming a Guinness World Record holder in 2024, until then, a lot of Nigerians found the game chess boring, banal and too technical.

To the common people of Nigeria, great things can be achieved from a small place as shown by Tunde Onakoya. He has become a man who is renowned for his ability to change lives through the strategic movement of pawns and knights on the chessboard, he has played the game of chess against both locals and internationals; Onakoya has brought out children from the slum, giving them new lives and making sure they understand that they can achieve great things from a small place. The world will always create room for a person who has value and influence, therefore, a room was made for him to meet the president of the Federal republic of Nigeria.

Instead of waging war against Tunde Onakoya, Nigerians should come together and wage a common war against their leaders.