By Haroon Aremu
To the City boy himself and the jagabanic political juggernaut, welcome back to Nigeria after your visit to Britain, but I have some scoop for you, sir.
In Nigerian politics, silence can be strategic—but it can also be dangerous. Since assuming office in 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has governed amid intense public scrutiny, economic hardship, and rising insecurity. Yet beneath the complaints, protests, and social media criticism, something else seems to be quietly unfolding: a calculated political march toward a second term in 2027. The signals are everywhere.
Across the country, political mobilization is gradually taking shape. Grassroots structures are being activated. Loyalists are reorganizing political networks. Campaign-style groups like the “City Boy Movement” are emerging, echoing the branding that helped propel Tinubu to power in 2023.
Within the ruling All Progressives Congress, subtle alignment is already visible as political actors begin positioning themselves ahead of the next electoral cycle. Governors and lawmakers decamping to the ruling party.
To many observers, it appears that despite the storms surrounding his administration, Tinubu is not behaving like a president on the defensive. Which might also be a strategic game. Instead, he looks like a politician who believes his political destiny is still firmly within reach. And yet, there is a paradox.
For a government preparing implicitly or explicitly for another electoral battle, the President himself has remained remarkably distant from direct engagement with the Nigerian public through the media.
This pattern of silence is not new in Nigeria’s political tradition: under former President Muhammadu Buhari, limited media engagement and rare press briefings created a communication vacuum that critics say allowed narratives to be shaped by speculation, opposition voices, and public frustration; by contrast, the administration of Goodluck Jonathan maintained regular media interactions that, while not eliminating criticism, fostered explanation, accountability, and dialogue distinction that remains significant.
Governance is not only about policy decisions; it is also about perception. And perception is often shaped through communication.
In the modern political ecosystem where social media amplifies every rumor, criticism, and political narrative. silence from the highest office can quickly be interpreted as detachment.
In a country where millions are struggling with inflation, fuel costs, and security concerns, the absence of regular presidential engagement with the media risks widening the emotional distance between government and citizens.
This is why communication is not a luxury for leadership; it is a necessity. The media remains one of the most powerful instruments of democratic governance. It informs the public, scrutinizes authority, and provides a platform for governments to explain their policies and intentions. It is also the channel through which transparency is most visibly demonstrated.
For President Tinubu, whose political reputation has long been built on strategic calculation and political communication, this moment calls for a recalibration.
If the administration is indeed laying the groundwork for a second-term campaign, then the President must recognize that political structures alone will not be enough. Campaign organizations, loyal supporters, and party machinery can mobilize votes, but public trust is built through openness and engagement. And that engagement must begin with the media.
Regular presidential media briefings, town hall conversations, and direct interviews with journalists would not only clarify government policies but also humanize the presidency in the eyes of Nigerians. They would allow the President to address difficult questions about economic reforms, insecurity, and governance challenges directly rather than leaving those conversations to political opponents or speculation.
History offers an important lesson in this regard. Leaders who fail to communicate often find their legacies defined not by what they did, but by what people believed they did. Narratives once formed are difficult to reverse.
President Tinubu’s administration has embarked on ambitious reforms and policies that its supporters argue are necessary for long-term national stability. But reforms, no matter how bold, must be explained. Policies, no matter how strategic, must be communicated.
A president seeking another mandate must speak not only through government actions but through direct dialogue with the people.
Nigeria’s democracy thrives when leaders answer questions, confront criticism, and articulate their vision openly. The press is not an enemy of government; it is one of the pillars that sustains democratic legitimacy.
If President Tinubu intends to convince Nigerians that his leadership deserves another term, the path forward cannot be paved only with political mobilization and campaign movements. It must also be built on conversation. And that conversation must begin now.
Another concern that continues to echo across Nigeria’s political landscape is the widening communication gap between the President and the people. While his spokesperson team, Bayo Onanunga, Sunday Dare and other government officials regularly speak on behalf of the administration, many Nigerians increasingly feel that the voice they truly need to hear is that of the President himself.
A spokesperson can defend policies, clarify statements, and manage narratives, but he cannot replace the moral authority and emotional reassurance that comes directly from the leader of the nation.
In moments of hardship, uncertainty, and national anxiety, citizens do not only seek explanations — they seek presence. They want to see their President answer tough questions, confront criticism, and speak directly to their fears and hopes. Nigeria today is not merely asking for press statements; it is yearning for presidential engagement.
The difference is profound. When a nation hears its leader speak openly and directly, it builds trust, even in the midst of pain. But when communication is filtered solely through spokesmen and official statements, the presidency begins to feel distant, almost insulated from the struggles of ordinary people.
If President Bola Ahmed Tinubu truly seeks to reconnect with the pulse of the nation, the message Nigerians are sending is unmistakable: the country does not only want to hear from the Presidency it wants to hear from the President.
Haroon Aremu Abiodun is a master student at Bayero University,Kano
