Politics is largely referred to by political scientists as the reconciliation of conflicting interests in society. Politicians are the persons mostly entrusted with resolving societal issues. Influential politicians are very powerful because, asides from being constitutionally empowered to handle issues of the state, they exhibit practical skills that distinguish them from laymen or other administrators when it comes to the art of governing, and they are perpetually suited to practical politics.

Nigeria has been fortunate to have politicians who are people of timber and calibre since independence in 1960. They have distinguished themselves as leaders and made an impact on swaying public opinion or perception about various issues one way or another, thereby gaining the respect of the populace. Nigerians, including the younger generation, still recall with nostalgia the likes of Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, Anthony Enahoro, and other first and second republic politicians due to their mastery of politics, as well as their power and standing in the country.

Since the start of the fourth republic in 1999, the country has witnessed a new dispensation of politicians coming from all parts of the country. This piece, therefore, looks at the top seven most influential politicians in the country currently, who are listed below in no particular order.

Muhammadu Buhari

State: Kastina | Political party: All Progressives Congress (APC)

Muhammadu Buhari is the incumbent and 15th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Born in 1942, Buhari is probably the only politician that has elicited massive respect, adulation, and adoration across northern Nigeria since the days of the late Bello, popularly known by his traditional title, the Sardauna of Sokoto.

Before becoming democratically-elected president, Buhari served as Nigeria’s military Head of State from December 1983 to August 1985. He developed a reputation as a no-nonsense, tough leader during that stint. He was stern and uncompromising against perceived corruption (as exhibited in the extradition saga involving Umaru Dikko, a former transportation minister) and a very disciplined person (the establishment of the Kick Against Indiscipline programme is a clear pointer).

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After he was removed from power in 1985, he continued to embody these moral traits and remained well-respected in northern Nigeria. Upon the country’s return to democracy in 1999, Buhari aspired to become the country’s leader again, this time: in a civilian dispensation. He contested the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) platform and the 2011 presidential election under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). He lost all three elections but won most of the votes in the northern part of the country.

Fortune, however, smiled on him in 2015 as he won the presidential election resoundingly under the platform of the APC, thereby elected as Nigeria’s 15th president. The APC was a merger of the three major opposition parties at the time, the CPC (of which he was a prominent member), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and the ANPP. He was instrumental in the merger occurring.

Buhari was elected on the promise of fighting insecurity, combating corruption, and salvaging the economy. Following his election as president, the Kastina-born politician has been the national leader of the ruling party since 2015 till date. Buhari was re-elected as the country’s president for a second four-year term in 2019. He continues to enjoy a cult-like following among his people, particularly in northern Nigeria.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

State: Lagos | Political party: All Progressives Congress (APC)

Bola Tinubu first came to the national limelight when he was elected as Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District of Lagos State in 1993 during the botched third republic. However, following the military coup and the dictatorial tendencies of the Abacha regime, Tinubu was among the numerous pro-democracy activists. They fled the country and continued the struggle for democracy in exile. He was one of the strong advocates of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which agitated for the end of military rule in Nigeria.

Following the country’s return to democracy in 1999, Tinubu became one of the beneficiaries of the democracy struggle as he was preferred by the majority of the stakeholders of NADECO as the governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Lagos State. He won the election, which became the springboard for his political godfather role in Lagos and the South-West geopolitical region. He was re-elected four years later and served as the governor of Nigeria’s commercial capital until 2007.

While in office as governor, Tinubu started imposing himself as a political power player as he was renowned for being a talent hunt manager, spotting individuals who were competent in administration and appointing them to manage critical portfolios of the state. Since leaving office in 2007, Tinubu has been directly influential in the choice of his three successors so far, as well as recommending numerous proteges of his into various positions at federal or state levels.

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He was instrumental in the formation of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which then merged with Buhari’s CPC and the ANPP to form a merger of Nigeria’s three largest opposition parties. The new party born out of this merger – the APC – defeated the incumbent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 presidential election. With the APC’s win, Tinubu achieved his dream of being a major political power player at the national level. He further consolidated his political influence across the South-West states and spread his tentacles elsewhere, leading to politicians in the ruling party giving him the unofficial designation of the APC National Leader.

The Jagaban of Borgu is going for the big one, hoping to be the President of Nigeria after he secured the presidential ticket of the APC for the 2023 election.