Arise Television anchor Rufai Oseni said President Bola Tinubu is a “master strategist” after former Defence Minister General T.Y. Danjuma, retired, publicly endorsed Tinubu’s re‑election bid, joining other Christian leaders from Nigeria’s Middle Belt at a meeting that also featured former Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara. Oseni made the remarks on Monday during his programme The Morning Show.
While welcoming the endorsement as a “good one for him,” Oseni questioned whether support from influential political and religious figures will translate into votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. He asked, “Will it trickle down? You see, the thing about elite endorsement is that elite endorsement gears towards the elites.”
Oseni argued that Nigeria remains divided between an elite class that has benefited from government patronage—such as contracts, rent‑seeking opportunities and proximity to power—and ordinary citizens who continue to struggle for basic necessities. He said the elite’s backing does not necessarily reflect the preferences of the broader electorate.
According to Oseni, most Nigerians are more concerned with access to potable water, security and reliable electricity than with endorsements by high‑profile individuals. “They don’t ask for too much. They are not protesting on the streets because they don’t have power, electricity, or water. They just want the basics to work for them, and those are the people that are going to vote in this election, not the elite class that has always benefited,” he said.
Oseni noted that prominent political figures who endorse a candidate may not necessarily turn out to vote, but he maintained that securing elite support remains significant for Tinubu, describing the president’s ability to attract such backing as evidence of his strategic skill.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
