Sometimes your greatest enemy is the one who, by their very existence, forces you to grow stronger, and sometimes your enemy’s greatest gift to you is their own self-destruction.
There is a certain poetry in watching your opponents tear each other apart while you remain focused on the prize. The 2027 presidential election appears to be less a contest of visions and more a spectacle of opposition self-immolation and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Asiwaju of Lagos, is the silent beneficiary of a universe seemingly determined to crown him once again.
A Political Voyage Forged in Fire
To understand why Tinubu is where he is today, one must trace the arc of a political journey that has never been smooth. His ballot-box odyssey began in 1992 when he was elected to the Lagos West Senate seat. Then came the annulment of the 1993 presidential election a wound that would define a generation of Nigerian democrats. Tinubu did not retreat; he joined the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), was jailed, and fled into exile in 1994, returning only after the death of General Sani Abacha.
His governorship of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 was no stroll through Eko Bridge. He inherited a state with suffocating finances, but through improved tax collection and visionary public transportation projects, he transformed Lagos into Nigeria’s economic powerhouse. When he left office, he became the political kingmaker—the godfather who helped forge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013 and delivered the presidency to Muhammadu Buhari twice. Yet his own presidential quest in 2023 was anything but ordained. He secured barely 37 per cent of the vote, faced immediate legal challenges, and had his victory upheld only after a gruelling tribunal process. From senate to exile, from governor to president, Tinubu’s path has been paved with obstacles that would have broken lesser men.
The Universe Conspires for the Determined
Paulo Coelho wrote in The Alchemist: “When you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the Universe. It’s your mission on earth.” And again: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
The philosophy is simple yet profound. When a man pursues his Personal Legend with singular focus, the cosmos rearranges itself to clear his path. Tinubu has never wavered. Through annulments, exile, legal battles, and political betrayals, he has maintained his gaze fixed on the prize. While others have been distracted by ego, vendettas, and petty squabbles, Tinubu has remained the most focused candidate in the race and the universe, in its inscrutable way, has begun to reward that focus.
The Obasanjo‑Atiku Feud: A Gift Wrapped in Venom
Enter the octogenarian and his estranged deputy. The Obasanjo‑Atiku feud is Nigeria’s longest‑running political drama—a Shakespearean tragedy that has outlasted parties, presidencies, and peace accords. What began as a power struggle inside Aso Rock has evolved into a generational clash of egos that resurfaces with every election cycle.
Their latest confrontation has been particularly vicious. Obasanjo recently declared that choosing Atiku as his running mate in 1999 was one of the greatest mistakes of his presidency. “If I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him,” he said. Atiku, in turn, has accused Obasanjo of repackaging bitterness.
This feud has done what no APC strategist could have achieved: it has fractured the opposition coalition from within. Multiple sources within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Kwankwasiyya Movement have confirmed that Obasanjo’s opposition to Atiku’s presidential nomination was the beginning of the coalition’s fragmentation. Obasanjo allegedly instructed party leaders not to allow Atiku to be their candidate if they wanted his support. The result? Peter Obi left the ADC on May 3, citing internal crises. The coalition that could have challenged Tinubu imploded before it even launched.
Obi: From Candidate to Content Creator
And what of Peter Obi? The man who once inspired the Obidient movement has been reduced to what human rights activist Segun Awosanya aptly described as a “political content creator”. His recent interviews have been characterised as “PR disasters” by the Presidency, raising further questions about his fitness for leadership. Awosanya warned that “every single country Obi glorified and hoped to emulate is currently in penury”. The movement that once threatened the political establishment has become a social media spectacle all sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Sowore’s Worthless Noise
Then there is Omoyele Sowore, the AAC candidate who has secured his party’s ticket unopposed. But as human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has noted, Sowore “could never win any election in Nigeria”. His noise cannot win ten votes across the Ilaje households of Ondo State a constituency too small to matter and too peripheral to influence anything. President Tinubu’s special adviser on policy communication, Daniel Bwala, has rightly described both Sowore and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde as “inconsequential” ahead of 2027.
The Verdict
The opposition is distracted. Obasanjo and Atiku are locked in a personal war that benefits no one but Tinubu. Obi has become a content creator rather than a statesman. Sowore makes noise that no one hears. Bishops and religious leaders may throw tantrums, but tantrums do not win elections.
Tinubu, by contrast, remains focused on governance, national development, and the welfare of Nigerians. His administration has introduced reforms across key sectors education, power, infrastructure, and fiscal management. His team is deploying a data‑driven communication strategy to showcase tangible achievements. While his opponents tear each other apart, he builds.
The 2027 presidential election is not a contest. It is a coronation waiting to happen. The universe, as Coelho would remind us, conspires to help those who truly want something. Tinubu has wanted this for three decades. His enemies, in their infinite wisdom, have chosen to destroy themselves rather than challenge him.
When your enemies are busy fighting each other, the wise leader simply watches and waits. Tinubu has watched. He has waited. And in 2027, he will win.