The Blueprint for Power: How Obasanjo Schooled Alibaba on Winning Nigeria’s Presidency

Advertisement

By Bukar Mohammed

In a rare, behind-the-scenes revelation, ace comedian and social critic Alibaba has pulled back the velvet curtains on Nigerian politics, recounting a private conversation with former President Olusegun Obasanjo that reads less like advice—and more like a war manual for capturing the nation’s most powerful office.

Speaking in a recent interview, Alibaba recalled that Obasanjo didn’t mince words when he broke down the “non-negotiables” for winning Nigeria’s presidency. According to him, it’s far more complex than campaign rallies and catchy slogans.

“Ali, you still have a lot to learn,” Obasanjo reportedly said, before launching into a masterclass on political power.

At the core of the strategy: control seven key governors —specifically Lagos, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Kano, Kaduna—and critically, influence the Central Bank Governor.
“If you have those,” Obasanjo said, “you don’t even have to be a political genius. The numbers and the money will find you.”

Advertisement

But numbers alone are not enough. Obasanjo emphasized the importance of dominating 44 strategic senatorial districts across the country to create a firewall against opposition surges.

The method, according to Obasanjo, is classic political chess:

• Award lucrative contracts early to create vested interests and lock in loyalty.

• Control the judiciary and security agencies—from the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and heads of critical institutions like Customs, NNPC, and CBN.

• Silence enemies with suspended corruption cases and harness the war chests of untouchable ex-governors.

• Secure international leverage by attracting U.S. or Chinese business investments; “once their money is here, their governments follow,” he revealed.

The playbook goes even deeper:
Infiltrate opposition parties, planting loyalists to defect and sabotage campaigns from within. “Some of the people managing your opponent’s campaign should actually be loyal to you,” Obasanjo reportedly advised.

Equally crucial: dominate the grassroots—students’ unions, market women, transport unions like NURTW—and recruit at least ten of Nigeria’s wealthiest individuals to back your candidacy.

Perhaps the most striking lesson was about timing. According to Obasanjo, real loyalty is built a year before party primaries, not during election season:

• Buy delegates early, not with cash at rallies, but with life-changing favors—jobs, contracts, religious pilgrimages, and personal interventions.

“By the time elections arrive,” Obasanjo concluded, “you’re not handing out dollars at rallies—you already own the hearts and wallets of the critical players.”

Obasanjo’s brutally pragmatic blueprint offers a sobering confirmation of what many Nigerians have long suspected: winning a presidential election isn’t simply about ideas or vision—it’s about executing a meticulously crafted, high-stakes operation.

As Nigeria looks toward its next elections, Alibaba’s revelations serve as a stark reminder: in Nigerian politics, the throne is rarely won by the purest vision—but by the sharpest strategy.

Bukar Mohammed is a governance, public affairs, and policy analyst based in Kano.