A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ayekooto Akindele, has stirred fresh debate after declaring that President Bola Tinubu is the first “real politician” to become Nigeria’s president since 1914.
Akindele made the remark in a post on his X page, praising Tinubu’s political style and recent electoral wins by the ruling party. “For the first time since 1914, a real politician is the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he wrote.
Using a football analogy to drive home his point, the APC stalwart likened Tinubu’s absence from the country during the by-elections to a striker who takes a penalty, turns his back to the goalpost and goalkeeper, yet still scores. “Tinubu’s coalition won all the elections conducted yesterday,” Akindele said with excitement.
The ruling APC secured the majority of seats in the bye-elections, further strengthening its dominance. However, the opposition parties — the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) — also managed to clinch some victories, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) walked away with nothing.
Akindele’s bold claim is already drawing reactions, with some hailing Tinubu’s political skill and others dismissing the statement as partisan praise.
