Strategist in the Mud, Puppet in Power: The Reality of Tinubu’s Presidency
For decades, the “Jagaban” (Ja a gabar Borgu: A title actually from Northern Nigeria) brand was built on the myth of the “Master Strategist”, the political grandmaster who always moved three steps ahead. But as of the realities of 2026, that myth has been dragged through the mud and left for dead. In the markets of Lagos, the motor parks of Kano, and the university halls of Abuja, a new title has taken hold: the Tinubu puppet strategist.
The evidence suggests a leader who isn’t charting a course for Nigeria, but rather one who is frantically managing a “presidency for sale” to satisfy domestic power blocs and three greedy international masters.
Sovereignty for Sale: The Christmas Airstrikes and the French Connection
The most chilling evidence of Nigeria’s return to a neo-colonial era came on Christmas Day 2025. Under the direct orders of US President Donald Trump, AFRICOM (United States Africa Command) launched a series of Tomahawk missile strikes in Sokoto State. The optics were devastating: a foreign power dropping bombs on Nigerian soil ‘FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME’ to “protect Christians” because the Nigerian military was deemed incapable.
While the Presidency scrambled to call it “cooperation”, reality see it as a total surrender of sovereignty. A “qualified” leader protects his borders; a Tinubu puppet strategist opens them to foreign drones and boots on the ground to stay in Washington’s good graces.
This was preceded by the December 2025 military intervention in Benin Republic. By sending Nigerian jets and troops to foil a “coup” in Cotonou, Tinubu acted as the regional enforcer for French interests. Striking a neighboring “colony” of France while Nigerians were being mass-kidnapped in Niger and Kebbi States (where over 300 students remain missing) suggests his priorities are dictated by Paris, not the Nigerian people. Tragically, while African states strive to move past their colonial history, Tinubu’s desperation is dragging them back into the grip of neocolonialism.
The Blackmail Files: The FBI Saga
Why does a “Master Strategist” consistently bow to Western demands? The answer may lie in the FBI and DEA records. After a brutal legal battle, the April 2025 court order by Judge Beryl Howell ‘almost’ forced the release of files that the Presidency spent millions trying to block.
The argument is simple: A leader with a “detrimental” criminal history, specifically the 1993 forfeiture linked to drug trafficking, is a leader who is inherently blackmailable. If the US and UK hold the keys to your past, they hold the leash to your future. This is the definition of the Tinubu puppet strategist; a man who cannot say “No” to the West because they know too much.
The “Emilokan” Debt: Northern Power and the Gumi Influence
The “Emilokan” proclamation wasn’t just a cry for power, it was the naming of a debt. The 2023 Muslim-Muslim ticket, fueled by the “placeholder” VP strategy, was a desperate pact to secure the North. Today, the debt is being called in.
- The Muslim Council’s Demand: In late 2025, the Shariah Council made the bold, public demand for the removal of the INEC Chairman. To many, this was a clear signal of who actually “dashed” him the presidency and who expects to control the 2027 outcome.
- The Gumi Directive: Observers have noted that the President’s recent “Strategic Pact” with Turkey in January 2026 followed almost exactly the public “instructions” given by Sheikh Gumi. A President who takes security advice from a cleric who negotiates with Terrorists is a President who has lost his compass.
Verdict: A Strategy of Survival, Not Success
By every metric, from the ₦150 trillion national debt to the shrinkage of the economy in every term, Nigeria is worse off than it was before 2023. A strategist builds a nation’s strength; a puppet merely manages his own survival.
In 2026, Nigeria serves three masters: Britain (finance), France (regional policing), and the USA (military). At the center of it all is a leader struggling to appease everyone but the 200 million people he was meant to serve. The “Jagaban” is gone; only the puppet remains.
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