By Musa Bakare.
In the complex chessboard of Nigerian politics, where strategy determines survival and vision separates leaders from followers, two names stand out for their mastery of political engineering: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke. One has redefined national politics with uncommon courage and strategic brilliance; the other is poised to replicate that same transformative impact in Kogi State. The similarities are not coincidental. They are the product of discipline, loyalty, consistency, and the rare ability to read politics like a grandmaster.
Just as Tinubu reshaped Lagos and later rewired the entire national political architecture, Faleke is coming as the one figure capable of recalibrating Kogi’s political equilibrium. Their trajectories speak the same political language of loyalty, structure-building, vision, empowerment, and the ability to play the long game with unmatched precision.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is celebrated not just for capturing power but for building a political empire brick by brick, idea by idea, and alliance by alliance. His rise from Lagos State Governor to President of the Federal Republic was not an accident; it was the culmination of decades of strategic relationships, political investments, and the boldness to confront entrenched systems.
Asiwaju Tinubu’s political genius lies in his ability to spot leadership talent long before others see them. Build enduring political structures instead of temporary alliances.
Empower others without fear or insecurity. Stay loyal, even when loyalty is costly. Outthink, outmaneuver, and outlast his opponents.
These are the same qualities that transformed him into a national force and ultimately delivered his historic 2023 victory.
Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke has walked closely with Tinubu for many years not as a spectator, but as a student, a strategist, a bridge builder, and a trusted political lieutenant. It is impossible to be close to Tinubu and not absorb political mastery, and Faleke has not only absorbed it, he has perfected it for his own terrain – The Tinubuite Who Learned From the Master
Like Tinubu, Faleke built his relevance through consistency, even when others jumped from party to party, loyalty, even when it was neither fashionable nor profitable, structure, not noise or empty popularity grassroots connection, not elitist mobilisation and strategic patience, not reckless ambition.
As an engine room of the Tinubu political family, Faleke has been part of every major political battle, every tactical negotiation, every alliance that shaped contemporary politics. He is not guessing; he is operating from knowledge, experience, and mastery.
The Faleke political effect is a mirror of Tinubu’s mastery. In Kogi State Faleke is coming as the political force whose influence cuts across ethnic, religious, and partisan lines, just the way Tinubu rose above regional lines in Nigeria. His acceptance is neither accidental nor manufactured; it is earned through years of service, loyalty, and competence.
Tinubu broke old political monopolies in Lagos, dismantled power blocs, introduced a fresh model of governance, and built a legacy that still stands decades after he left office. He redefined what it meant to build political structures—structures that do not collapse after elections.
Faleke is poised to replicate the same in Kogi. He will break the old cycles of opportunistic politics, he will bring stability in place of the usual political turbulence, he will restructure the reward system to favour loyalty, merit, and competence, he will unite a state divided by years of factionalism.
He will build a governance model rooted in accountability reform and development.
Kogi 2027: The game Is about to change. It stands before a moment of destiny. The masses are speaking, the political structures are aligning, and the demand is echoing louder every day –
Let Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke lead the next political chapter.
Just as Tinubu changed the trajectory of Lagos and later the nation, Faleke is the one leader with the clarity, loyalty, experience, and courage to rewrite Kogi’s political future.
The signs are clear.
The momentum is rising.
The political empire is forming.
The people are ready.
A new chapter is beckoning.
Both men share the same political DNA of strategy, loyalty, structure, courage, and transformation. And as Kogi inches toward 2027, one truth becomes clearer: Faleke is not just entering the race, he is entering as the game changer Kogi has been waiting for.
– Musa Asiru Bakare is a political analyst and APC member, writes from Lokoja, Kogi State.
