“You can’t defeat something with nothing,” said an American baseball coach after his team suffered a seventeen-game losing streak.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Since governance has effectively been suspended for full-blown politicking in Nigeria until May 2027, it is only honest to confront the inevitable: the race for the presidency between 2027 and 2031. It is safe to assume that President Bola Tinubu will re-contest—regardless of what Nigerians think of his performance. No elected official in Nigeria has ever declared themselves a failure. On the contrary, they frequently crown their own efforts as historic successes. With appointees, party loyalists, and media sycophants eager to “come and eat,” glowing self-assessments are always in supply.

Francis Bacon once said, “The arch-flatterer, with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence, is the man himself.” It is an apt diagnosis of Nigeria’s political elite. During President Buhari’s tenure, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, spokespersons Garba Shehu, Femi Adesina, and Laolu Akande were quick to proclaim that Buhari had lifted 10 million Nigerians out of poverty—without evidence. Even Buhari believed the myth. Today, the same people are mute as Nigeria grapples with deepened poverty and the legacy of emboldened, bloodthirsty herders. Their plates have been removed, so their voices have vanished.

Now, they’re repositioning to serve Tinubu’s court, eager for another invitation to dine at the high table.

The Season of Media Mercenaries and AGIPs

Niccolò Machiavelli warned that mercenaries are “useless and dangerous.” In Nigeria, these political mercenaries are known as AGIPs—“Any Government In Power.” They sell their allegiance to the highest bidder. The same media figures who vilified Jonathan with gleeful venom have since rebranded him a statesman—once they were invited to the banquet of power. They now serve Tinubu with equal zeal, chanting a different tune for the same price.

These mercenaries are again on the prowl, armed with pens, airtime, and fake metrics, as the election season draws near.

2027: The Race Starts Now

With less than two years until the general elections, only unforeseen events can stop Tinubu from becoming the APC’s standard-bearer again. That being the case, Nigerians must ask: If not Tinubu, then who?

The answer must come quickly. The task of national mobilisation—36 states, 774 local governments, over 6,000 wards—is Herculean. Without an early start, it is a mission impossible for any challenger.

Alliances, as Harold Macmillan said, are held together by fear, not love. It was fear of PDP’s dominance that compelled the merger of CPC, ACN, and ANPP to form the APC. Today, the PDP is a ghost of itself, crippled by internal treachery and poor leadership. Unless a credible alternative rises soon, Nigeria risks descending into a de facto one-party state—a death sentence for democracy. While APC may revel in this dominance, history teaches us that unchecked power breeds tyranny.

The Fall of Ganduje and the Betrayal of Shettima

“Ganduje resigns as National Chairman of APC” was the headline on June 27, 2025. But nobody resigns from a political throne as powerful as that without being pushed. The perks of that office—unfiltered access to Aso Rock, chartered jets, and desperate lobbyists—make it irresistible. Yet Ganduje was nudged out to make way for Rabiu Kwankwaso, a bigger fish swimming toward APC waters. Ganduje and Kwankwaso are bitter rivals. One had to go. The axe fell on Ganduje.

But he’s not the first casualty. That title belongs to Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Without any confirmed misstep or disloyalty, discussions about replacing him on the 2027 ticket have begun. In any other context, this would be cruel. In politics, it’s just business. His silence is deafening; his fate uncertain. If Shettima harboured hopes of succeeding Tinubu someday, those dreams are fading fast. Only one Vice President—Jonathan—ever succeeded a sitting president, and only because death left Nigeria with no other choice. Ekwueme, Atiku, Osinbajo—they all tried and failed.

History may be preparing to repeat itself.

conclusion: Democracy at a Crossroads

While Nigeria celebrates the legacy of June 12, we must also guard against becoming the very tyranny we once resisted. The consolidation of power by a single party, the silencing of dissent, and the rise of political mercenaries all point to a dangerous erosion of democracy. If a credible opposition does not emerge soon, the 2027 election may become a coronation, not a contest. And in that moment, Nigeria would not just lose an election—it would lose the spirit of democracy itself.