Recent declarations by the Head of State, attributing the state’s failings to Allah and invoking divine fear to control citizens, ring hollow against the backdrop of daily hardships endured by the population. In Chad, faith and spirituality have long been pillars of resilience for its people in the face of an oppressive political regime. Yet when these sacred values are weaponized to conceal systemic failures in governance, the economy, and institutions, it becomes the duty of every discerning citizen to remind leaders that governance is not governed by divine will.

Sincerity and justice are sacred principles that must manifest in politics through absolute respect for the people’s will. The May 2024 presidential election—a sham process—has shattered public trust irreparably. Legitimate protests, disputed official figures, and independent observer reports have exposed a rigged system designed to entrench power. The violence that followed, claiming lives in the name of a stolen victory, underscores the depth of the crisis.

For appeals to divine truth to resonate, they must be grounded in absolute transparency in vote management. Upcoming legislative and local elections will serve as a litmus test. Without a complete overhaul of the electoral body and the publication of results by polling station, democratic transition will remain a hollow promise.

The 2024 election farce has broken trust irreparably. The people demand a revamped electoral register and a restructured electoral commission for future legislative elections—if the Head of State truly values truth.

State nepotism vs republican fairness

Divine law condemns favoritism, theft, and inequity. Yet the current regime thrives on an obscene concentration of appointments in state institutions, financial agencies, and security forces based on nepotism. Technical expertise is routinely sacrificed for regional, clan, or family ties. The meritocratic principle lies in tatters. Young graduates without influential connections face unemployment while key administrative positions—where oil and customs revenues are managed—are doled out as favors to the President’s inner circle. This concrete injustice fuels frustration and threatens national stability.

The collapse of infrastructure: a managerial disaster

To frame daily deprivations as divine tests is political cynicism. Chad faces a systemic collapse of essential services—not due to fate, but to managerial incompetence.

N’Djamena’s energy crisis is no act of Allah. Electricity access has become a luxury, with hospitals and businesses crippled by scheduled blackouts. The recent fire at the main power plant has turned life into a desperate search for stability.

Water shortages in Abéché, Sarh, and Moundou cannot be divine tests when Chad possesses vast underground reserves. Yet clean water remains a daily struggle for households because incompetence prevails. Oil and gold revenues are siphoned off by a privileged few while critical infrastructure rots. Is it Allah’s command that the nation’s wealth be plundered in His name?

The people’s aspirations extend beyond moral platitudes and empty promises. They demand credible institutions, functional public services, and inclusive governance. Only measurable, positive transformation in the lives of Chadians will validate the sincerity of its leaders.