GOVERNANCE AND EROSION OF PUBLIC TRUST UNDER PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU'S ADMINISTRATION (2024-2025)

ABSTRACT This study investigate the Governance and erosion of public trust under president bola Ahmed Tinubu's Administration (2024-2025). Governance in Nigeria has long been a topic of scholarly discourse, especially given the country's history of political instability, corruption, and economic challenges. Since its return to democracy in 1999, Nigeria has faced several governance challenges that have led to diminishing public trust in its political institutions. Governance in Nigeria has long been erosion characterized by lack of transparency, accountability, and efficiency, contributing to the of public trust in its political institutions. In analyzing governance and the erosion of public trust under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, this study adopts Social Contract Theory as its theoretical framework. Social Contract Theory, as developed by political philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, offers a foundational understanding ofthe relationship between government and citizens. This study adopts a qualitative research design that relies heavily on secondary data analysis. The findings of this study are consistent with the Social Contract Theory, particularly as articulated by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1762). The theory suggests that the legitimacy of any government is rooted in the exchange implicit agreement between the state and its citizens, where individuals consent to be governed in for protection, security, justice, and the provision of essential public goods. Based on the findigs, the following recommendation are proposed: The government must improve its communication strategy to explain the rationale, benefits, and timelines of reforms. To cushion the effects of subsidy removal and inflation, the government should invest in targeted social interventions such as food subsidies, cash transfers, and educational support for low-income houscholds