Isime Esene

One of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s greatest strengths is that he is a thoroughbred politician. He understands the game, and more importantly, he understands Nigeria’s electoral map. His first principle is simple: no region or political bloc in Nigeria has homogeneous voters. Every region has its own interests, fault lines and political arithmetic. Tinubu began drawing his electoral map long before declaring an interest in the presidency. He built alliances years before he made his presidential ambition public. Go back to 2007–2011. He was already planting his feet in the South-South. The first to take notice was reportedly President Goodluck Jonathan, who invited him to Aso Rock for a meeting. Jonathan reportedly asked about his interest in Bayelsa politics, given his growing involvement in the region. Tinubu’s response was said to be simple: “I need a foothold in the South-South.” That tells you everything about the man. Tinubu did not become President through wishful thinking or political happenstance. It was the product of years of painstaking alliance-building, electoral calculations, strategic positioning and an unrelenting search for numbers. Even his Muslim-Muslim ticket was a bold political gamble that required extraordinary audacity, conviction and a willingness to defy conventional political wisdom. He is, without doubt, a step ahead of many of his contemporaries when it comes to reading Nigeria’s political terrain. He won the presidency on his first attempt, in what was arguably one of Nigeria’s most fiercely contested elections. And now, as 2027 approaches, his path to re-election appears, at least politically, to be looking increasingly like an ice cream affair: cool and sweet. Never underestimate a politician who has spent decades studying the game. Jagaban for a reason.