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Tag: Kabiru Masari

  • Kabiru Masari, the political masterstroke

    Kabiru Masari, the political masterstroke

    • By Bamidele Atoyebi

    Until he was appointed a placeholder while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was waltzing his way to power, the name was as silent as his personality, taciturn but focused, operating under the radar, but the eyes of the head-hunter had him in focus. That’s one of the strong points of a leader…the ability to select a value team

    Masari continued to set tongues wagging until the issue of who would be the Vice President to run with the leader was settled, and like the shadow he cherishes, he stepped aside and disappeared from the radar, which made people wonder the type of character he was.

    Masari had one thing going for him, like water, he neither contends nor confronts, he rather keeps his course and focus, a rare and uncommon strategist, but not raising his voice, the political firmament moved on as if he was not there.

    Fast forward to his appointment as Special Adviser to the President on political matters, and his ways once again yielded a paradigm shift in political harvest that has left the nation reeling and trotting to catch up.

    The effectiveness of Masari in his post has become a rare justification of a round peg in a round hole, which, before long, started like wildfire, pushing everything and everyone in one direction.

    Till date, many people are wrongly accusing President Tinubu of coercing opposition to join him without knowing that the strategist is Masari, who has calmly and quietly worked behind the scenes in his usual manner to hone ways and means of winning others for the President with astounding success.

    This manifested in a tsunami of defections into the ruling party, which has swept all corners of Nigeria, bringing with it defections from ward levels to local councils, state legislature, governors, national assembly members, and all manner of ranks to the extent that fears have gripped the opposition that the regime of Tinubu was aiming for a one-party state in the country.

    Masari’s strategies from his near silent office has further stoked fears among those who seldom can understand what is going on that the President wanted to transit into a lifetime leader by staying beyond his constitutionally given terms without knowing that the secret was in the strategy of Masari who has the proper understanding of Nigeria’s politics was pulling the right strings while the President has given him free hand to handle the affairs of his office. The fact is that the duo of the President and Masari are perfect political combinations that achieve results, thereby making assurance doubly sure of the President’s reelection is a foregone conclusion.

    Another top score of Masari is that his method of dispute resolutions for inter and intra-party affairs is top-notch and wins the undecided as well as opposition to the side of the President.

    Masari has shown that there are people with near esoteric political understanding, but calmly and quietly operating outside the corridors of power and in the shadows.

    With men of such capacity in the President’s team, it can only get better, while the opposition will be left reeling, looking for what hit them, while the President Surges ahead to take the crown.

    – Bamidele Atoyebi, national coordinator of accountability and policy monitoring, and publisher at Unfiltered and Mining Reporting.

  • Masari, beacon of integrity, loyalty politics

    Masari, beacon of integrity, loyalty politics

    By Bamidele Atoyebi

    In recent weeks, Kabiru Masari’s name has dominated Nigeria’s political discuss, sparking curiosity about his unique closeness to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Information has it that he moves freely in and out of the seat of power and therefore enjoys unfettered access to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and that his approval can grant or deny others access to the President.

    For some, this raises suspicion about shadow governance or not in the popular sobriquet, cabal. But a closer look at Masari’s story reveals something scarce in present times: a rare lesson in loyalty, trust, integrity, and political memory.

    Kabiru Masari’s national prominence dates back to the run-up to the 2023 general elections. At a critical moment when the All Progressives Congress (APC) needed to submit a running mate for Bola Tinubu to meet INEC’s deadline, Masari agreed to serve as a placeholder vice-presidential candidate.

    It was a delicate period in which Tinubu’s political future could have been destabilized, yet Masari’s presence held the line.

    When the time came to step aside for Senator Kashim Shettima, Masari resisted all proddings and  did so quietly, without rancour or drama. In a political climate where ambition often trumps loyalty, that decision though may seem simple and straightforward, speaks volumes about his character and person.

    History shows that few Nigerian politicians resist the allure of power once they have tasted it. Atiku Abubakar, for instance, won the governorship of Adamawa State but abandoned it when the vice-presidential slot under Olusegun Obasanjo presented itself.

    Most recently, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who rose to national prominence on the back  of Tinubu’s influence as vice president, went on to contest against his benefactor in the APC primaries. Other examples are legion and we lack space to list them.

    Kabiru Masari could easily have taken a similar route, insisting on keeping the VP slot, especially after the primaries when the stakes grew higher. Instead, he demonstrated restraint and consistency of character. In doing so, he showed that not every politician must place ambition above loyalty.

    A critic like Senator Marafa claimed that Tinubu is a politician who “uses and dumps” people once they have served their purpose. Yet, Masari’s privileges today, his access to the president, and his respected influence despite holding no executive office, prove proves contrary to Marafa’s assertion.

    They show Tinubu as a man with a long memory, one who rewards loyalty even without the trappings of official titles.

    If Tinubu ever distances himself from anyone, it is often not because he forgets, but because of chameleonic somersaults prevalent in our present times, it must be the person either tried to bite more than they could chew, never truly rendered help from the beginning or tuned rogue.

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    The stories of Akinwunmi Ambode, Lai Muhammed, and Rauf Aregbesola illustrate this point: they once enjoyed Tinubu’s political support but fell out of favour due to tainted loyalty or overarching ambition.

    On the other hand, Babatunde Fashola, Gbajabiamila and a host of lawmakers from South West are examples of those whose consistent loyalty ensured continued relevance long after their first appointments.

    Masari’s position is not about undermining institutions or operating as a shadow government. It is about the president’s way of repaying kindness with trust which is core of his political philosophy.

    In a political space where betrayals are rife, Masari represents the rare example of character consistency, reliability and integrity who walked away from power when he could have clung to it, and in return, earned lasting respect.

    This relationship also sends a broader message: loyalty is not a weakness, and it does not always go unrewarded. In fact, it can secure privileges that titles alone may never guarantee.

    Kabiru Masari’s story is more than a curiosity about who walks in and out of Aso Rock. It is a reminder that loyalty, restraint, and trust are powerful currencies in politics.

    It also underscores President Tinubu’s political style: one that remembers and repays genuine loyalty while recognizing the difference between true allies and opportunists.

    If Nigerian politics learned to reward loyalty and competence in the same way Tinubu has rewarded Masari’s loyalty, our democracy would not only be stronger but also more trusted by the people. After all, who won’t want people around him whose reliability enables him to sleep with two eyes closed?

    • Bamidele is the Convenor of BAT Ideological Group,  National Coordinator of Accountability and Policy Monitoring and Publisher at Unfiltered and Mining Reporting