Adeleke, Tinubu and the Limits of the People’s Mandate

I have questions about Governor Ademola Adeleke’s repeated support for President Bola Tinubu and what it says about the freedom of elected governors. It may be political strategy, survival or the need for federal cooperation. But if a governor must constantly negotiate with the same structure that can weaken his government, how much of the people’s mandate truly belongs to the people? I also wonder how free voters are when their choices are shaped by poverty, frustration, limited alternatives and years of disappointment. People voted for Adeleke, but elections do not always mean every voter is fully satisfied or unconstrained. A large opposition vote, even in defeat, should be read carefully. It reflects anger, unmet needs and demands that cannot be ignored. Leaders should not present basic responsibilities such as salary payments, infrastructure and development as personal favours. We must also question those who create or tolerate problems, then return as saviours with partial solutions. That pattern is not limited to politicians; it exists in institutions and society. Rather than wait for a dramatic revolution, Nigerians who want change must organise from the wards, local governments and state assemblies. We should build informed communities and stronger institutions, one person at a time. The political system we tolerate today may eventually be inherited by the very people we call our heroes.

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