The political capital of Nigerian gladiators: Obi’s assets, Wike’s liability, Tinubu’s profit, By Sunday Adelaja

The Obidient phenomenon gave Obi access to:

Wike possessed something different: A network of politicians and political operators. Put the two assets together and you have the ingredients of a formidable political organisation: Obi’s mass enthusiasm plus Wike’s political machinery.

That combination never materialised.

It is therefore reasonable, as a matter of political analysis, to ask whether Obi’s biggest loss was not that he didn’t win the presidential election.

I believe that a greater loss was his inability to capitalise on the massive support and the goodwill he enjoyed from Nigerians. His failure to institutionalise the enormous political capital he accumulated during the campaign. On the other hand Wike is taking advantage of that void and doing exactly what Obi was supposed to have done

Popularity Versus Political Architecture

 The central lesson of the present political landscape in Nigeria is that there are at least four levels of political power in the country as of this moment.

Level 1 — Personal popularity

People like the candidate. This is the biggest asset of Peter Obi

Level 2 — Movement

Those people organise around common political objectives. Peter Obi is also trying to do something in this aspect.

Level 3 — Political Machinery

The movement develops:

It is in this aspect Wike’s assets lie, this is what he has upgraded to the newly emerging Rainbow Coalition

Level 4 — Governing coalition

The organisation can negotiate with:

 This is the greatest asset of Asiwaju even though WIKE has some of these leverages but it is Asiwaju who has perfected it above others

To summarise the above power basis and assets of our three gladiators, it is safe to say:

Obi demonstrated extraordinary strength at Level 1 and elements of Level 2.

Wike’s political career demonstrates much greater emphasis on Levels 3 and 4.

Tinubu’s career illustrates the construction of all four over a much longer period.

Three Gladiators Three Models

We can therefore describe the three politicians through three different political models:

Peter Obi

Nyesom Wike

Bola Tinubu

This is not a ranking.

It is a description of different forms of political capital.