Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has described President Bola Tinubu as a “master strategist” following the endorsement of his re-election bid by former Defence Minister, General T.Y. Danjuma, retd., and other Christian leaders from the Middle Belt.
Oseni, however, questioned whether the endorsement by influential political and religious figures would translate into votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The Morning Show anchor made the remarks on Monday while analysing the significance of Danjuma’s endorsement and the presence of other prominent figures, including former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, at the meeting.
He described the endorsement as a positive development for Tinubu but cautioned that elite support did not necessarily reflect the position of ordinary Nigerians.
“Good endorsement for President Tinubu because it was not only T.Y. Danjuma that I saw at that meeting; there were a couple of other Christian leaders in the Middle Belt and the like,” he said.
“Good one for him, but the question is, will it trickle down? You see, the thing about elite endorsement is that elite endorsement gears towards the elites.”
Oseni argued that Nigeria was divided between an elite class that had benefited from government patronage and ordinary citizens who continued to struggle with necessities.
He said while the elite class had enjoyed government contracts, rent-seeking opportunities and proximity to power, many Nigerians had yet to benefit from the country’s resources.
According to him, ordinary Nigerians were more concerned about access to potable water, security and protection of lives and property than endorsements by influential 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 added.
The Arise anchor further argued that prominent political figures who endorse candidates might not necessarily come out to vote during elections.
He, however, maintained that elite endorsements remained significant for Tinubu, describing the President as a “master strategist” for securing the support of the influential figures.