A popular Yoruba adage says ‘If you plant seven yam seedlings and seven tissues of lies, you will repeat both in due season. After eating your tubers of yam, you start eating the whirlwind of lies”. This seems to be where Nigeria is today. The country is eating the outcomes of the many lies it told citizens in the past in the name of growing democracy and promoting sustainable development. Lies and denial have evolved from occasional tactics into forms of sophisticated statecraft. These deeply ingrained patterns manifest as leaders consistently refuse to acknowledge glaring national challenges while distracting citizens with future promises and political manoeuvrings.