The All Progressives Congress (APC) has long mastered the art of political chess, but the strategy now unfolding across Nigeria feels less like a game and more like a purge. For the first time, the power of state governors has been systematically curtailed through the influence of political godfathers. Yet even these godfathers, once kingmakers, are now being sacrificed. Their wings clipped, their relevance diminished, they now march toward their Golgotha: exposed, weakened, and politically isolated.
Nyesom Wike, once a formidable force, now stands sidelined. Godfrey Nnaji who was encouraged or rather deployed to harass Governor Peter Mbah, was discarded amid scandal. These are not accidents, they are calculated moves in a ruthless power play. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the architect of this unfolding drama, has played both governors and godfathers with chilling precision. His Muslim-Muslim ticket, his “bula blu” theatrics, each gamble paid off. What once seemed reckless now appears methodical.
Tinubu has emerged as the embodiment of Nigeria’s darkest political instincts. His grip on power is psychological, systemic, and deeply embedded in the machinery of state. But history offers no sanctuary for perfect crimes. When the system begins to quake, the true nature of its architects will be is laid bare - angry Nigerians vs APC. Already the rumbling has started especially from the North East, North West, South East and South South. But the loud echo chamber APC built is keeping them from hearing the obvious signs.
The silence from the Northeast and Northwest is deafening especially. These regions, traditionally vocal in national discourse, now seem subdued; perhaps complicit, perhaps calculating. But silence is rarely neutral. It may signal a brewing storm or something more sinister.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi’s growing rapport with Mallam Nasir El-Rufai introduces a curious leak in APC’s strategy basket. If nurtured, this alliance could reshape the political terrain, bridging reformist aspirations with northern pragmatism. Atiku Abubakar, perpetually chasing the presidency, could still play a pivotal role, that is if he awakens from his political slumber and recognizes the urgency of the moment. Already Mr Peter Obi has thrown the first salvo: "the defections wont help Tinubu nor the governors, the people has the final say" he said recently. This naked truth keeps Tinubu’s strategists awake daily.
Yet a troubling narrative is emerging from parts of the North: “Let Tinubu finish another four years, then we’ll use Peter Obi as VP to appease the Southeast.” Many northern stakeholders appear to be buying into this sentiment. That's APC’s handiwork. But this is a dangerous oversimplification. It fractures the North–Southwest alliance and ascribes moral clarity to a figure whose political past is riddled with controversy. It is a gamble with Nigeria’s future. What if Tinubu, emboldened by power and foreign interests, chooses to emulate Paul Biya of Cameroon, a leader whose decades-long rule masquerades as stability?
More sinister is the thought that France’s waning influence in West and Central Africa may well pivot toward Nigeria, the region’s economic giant. If foreign powers see Tinubu as a reliable proxy, Nigeria risks becoming a bounty replacement and a geopolitical pawn in a broader imperial game. The West’s interest in Nigeria has always been transactional. Tinubu’s consolidation of power could serve their interests far more than Nigeria’s.
2027 will not just be another election cycle, it is Nigeria’s nearest and surest chance to reclaim its democratic soul. It is our opportunity for real Independence. The opposition must rise above factionalism and personal ambition. The electorate must see beyond propaganda and patronage. And the North must recognize that true national unity cannot be built on political expediency.
The time to act is now. Because if Tinubu’s ambitions stretch beyond constitutional limits, Nigeria may find itself staring down a future where democracy is but a memory, and power is the only currency that matters.
