By Mobolaji Sanusi
“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
—Winston Churchill(1874-1965)-War-time British PM harping on why principled leadership breeds envious opposition.
At age seventy-four, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, stands not just as Nigeria’s president and commander-in-chief, but as a figure whose political journey continues to inspire admiration, fierce debate and deep reflection in equal measure. By tomorrow, Sunday, March 29,2026, the public scrutiny continues as he celebrates his birthday while simultaneously savouring the joy of winning his party’s 2027 presidential re-election ticket.
For some of us, however, our engagement trajectory with Tinubu is deeply personal. Yours sincerely’s relationship with the president dates back to his days as governor of Lagos State, facilitated by our living journalism legend and elder statesman, Akinrogun Segun Osoba. What began as an encounter has since blossomed into a bond one can only describe as a father and son relationship. Over the years, dating back to his tenure as governor and after his tenure as a revered politician of note, or in my several interactions with him in his then faraway London’s Cavendish residence, writing about the Tinubu story has always been both a privilege and a delight.
Thence, marking his birthday through writings has, for me, become something of a tradition. This year, like in previous years, carries a significant addendum as he celebrates his birthday, again in his capacity as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is gearing up for his reelection for a second term, come January, 2027.
No leader, like all mortals, is without flaws and Tinubu is no exception. To some people, he may as president not be getting everything right but to yours sincerely, he is undeniably getting some things on sure-footings for the progress of our dear country. And candidly, such expressions of divergent views are part of what make the democratic system the most cherished doctrine across the world. Even among his truculent detractors, there is a quiet acknowledgment, sometimes unspoken, that many of them have, at one point or another, benefited from his political intelligence, wisdom, personal resources and influence.
The reality most of them failed to acknowledge is that Asiwaju remains, till date, the country’s first truly “intentional” politician-president, one who consciously built a political structure over decades with the clear objective of attaining the highest office. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, GCON, would have been the first real politician-president but the power-that-be of his epoch, never allowed him to lead thereby necessitating his being accorded a posthumous sobriquet of “the best president Nigeria never had”— apologies to late Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Ikemba of Nnewi. Former President Shehu Usman Shagari, comparatively, was not on the same political pedestal with Tinubu. He wanted to go to the senate but was prevailed upon to be an unwilling president. General Olusegun Obasanjo was never a politician but after leaving Abacha’s gulag, he also ended up serving as an unwilling president. Late President Umar Yar’Adua was equally an unwilling president, courtesy of Obasanjo’s deceitful electoral shenanigans. But for Yar’Adua’s sickness, Goodluck Jonathan would not have become president. Fate made him one.
Even late Muhammadu Buhari, who persistently sought the presidency, only succeeded after a political realignment in which Tinubu played a decisive role. Tinubu’s rise, by contrast, is framed by political tenacity, persistence, effective strategy, long-term calculations and the unseen but important hand of fate. Most people argue that this same intentionality is reflected in his governance style; being one that prioritises structural changes, medium and long-term gains over immediate gains.
Unsurprisingly, his influence continues to loom large over Nigeria’s political landscape. Whether in discussions about political party dynamics, shifting alliances or governance generally, his imprint is unmistakable. For admirers, like yours sincerely, he remains a master strategist; for critics, a dominant force whose political reach/influence raises concerns. Either way, he is impossible to ignore.
Nobody in today’s opposition can deny the fact that Tinubu is the ‘capo di tutti’ of the country’s political turfs that can only be ignored at their own peril. No wonder that everything political; good or bad, positive or negative, has been ascribed to Tinubu, even when he knows nothing about such things.
The ongoing wave of political defections has further reinforced this reality. While some accuse him of consolidating power excessively, others see it as a natural gravitation towards political authority. Many of those raising concerns today were once allies of Asiwaju, underscoring the fluid and often transactional nature of Nigerian politics. The pull that made them gravitate toward the man at one time or the other in the past, is the same pull that is making current governors and others rush to join the political party of this first politician-president of the country. Added to this is the defectors’ resolute inclination to hold unto power and achieving this can only be guaranteed by staying with Tinubu as a sitting intentional president whose strong political aura is undeniably magnetic.
Asiwaju is the last man standing amongst the Southwest’s Alliance for Democracy (AD) governors of that era that Obasanjo cajoled out of power in 2003. Even as at today, he remains the most consequential figures from the 1999–2007 political era, and he is still active, still influential and still dominating and shaping national conversations. To God be the glory.
As Tinubu marks his 74th birthday, expectations remain high. Leadership at this level carries both expectational burden and opportunity. Most of us hope and pray that his administration will steer Nigeria toward desired stability and prosperity even though his critics continue to find faults by their virulent demand for accountability and beneficially humane policy results.
For those of us that truly love this man called Tinubu, and sincerely want him to succeed having followed his political journey closely, this moment calls for both reflection and responsibility. We must support what works, question what does not and remain loyal to him and committed to the broader national interest. This is the promise I have made and will adhere to till 2031 when hopefully, the time and opportunity will come to give an overall analytical assessment of the era of ‘omo olodo ide’ as the president of this country.
Above all, I wish our own Asiwaju of the universe and president of Nigeria amongst other things; a continuing good health, purposefully clear policy focus and discipline, divine wisdom and a discerning ability to seave the grains from the chaff in his rulership encounters. These are some of the salient leadership attributes required to navigate, God willing till 2031, the complexities of leading a nation as dynamic as Nigeria.
Asiwaju, being our last man standing at 74, kindly accept, once again, my sincere birthday wishes/prayers. Congratulations sir.
•Sanusi, former MD/CEO of Lagos State Signage & Advertisement Agency, is currently managing partner at AMS RELIABLE SOLICITORS. (sms/whatsapp-07011117777)
