In a Africa where power often closes ears and inflates egos, listening only to themselves and their sycophants, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the Federal Republic of Nigeria stands as a revolutionary exception, a leader who listens, learns, adapts, and places the people above pride.
In the turbulence of Nigeria’s political arena, where the opposition’s noise often overshadows their rationale, President Tinubu’s listening leadership is not only refreshing; it is transformative. He embodies the timeless principle that a leader who listens never loses direction.
While many leaders act as if they possess all the answers, Asiwaju Tinubu understands the power of collective intelligence. He dialogues with monarchs and market vendors, labor leaders and youth activists, business innovators and religious figures. This deliberate openness fosters stability even during challenging economic and political times.
Nigerians recognize they have a President who may disagree but never dismisses their concerns. The nation has endured leaders who viewed listening as a sign of weakness, resulting in the erosion of public trust and isolation. In stark contrast, Asiwaju Tinubu rises above this paradigm. When citizens voiced their struggles with subsidy pains, he responded by expanding palliatives and supporting transportation. Faced with forex volatility that rattled investors, he took decisive action to stabilize the markets. When labor unions called for fairness, he negotiated with humility rather than hostility. When corrupt or incompetent officials faltered, he dismissed them without hesitation.
This responsive approach has led many Nigerians, adversaries in the opposition to begin to advocate for President Tinubu’s continuation in office until 2031. This silent approach to governance was the death knell of the now defunct opposition coalition movement.
The opposition may thrive on misinformation and emotional manipulation, weaponizing fear, distorting facts, and amplifying anger in an attempt to destabilize the government. President Tinubu remains undistracted.
He listens to truth rather than noise; he prioritizes the voices of ordinary Nigerians over the political merchants of confusion. He consults experts rather than engaging with accidental social media celebrities. Amid the clamor of political discord, President Tinubu’s calm demeanor and ability to genuinely hear the people is an act of courage.
Asiwaju Tinubu did not become a listening President by chance; it is inherent to his character. During his tenure as Governor of Lagos state, he assembled one of the most intellectually vibrant cabinets in Nigeria’s democratic history, encouraging young minds to challenge him instead of merely worshiping him. He valued ideas over flattery and dismissed sycophants.
This approach has birthed numerous successful national leaders, demonstrating a stark contrast to the opposition, which has failed to cultivate any significant national figures, a testament to the hollowness of their noise.
Nigeria has previously witnessed leaders who disregarded expert advice, stifled opposing voices, treated criticism as an affront, and mistook obstinacy for strength. Such attitudes weakened institutions and drained national confidence.
President Tinubu heralds a refreshing departure from this cycle. He leads with the belief that power must exude humility to be effective and responsiveness to remain legitimate.
The current opposition relies on volume, not vision. They resort to insults and abuse due to their lack of ideas, trending rhetorical content because they lack infrastructure, and attacking consistently out of fear of President Tinubu’s growing success and administration by Nigerians ahead of 2027.
While they shout, Asiwaju Tinubu listens. While they rant, he consults. While they mislead, he corrects. While they sow division, he fosters unity.
It is for these reasons that millions of Nigerians are placing their confidence and trust in the President over those who merely scream, poised to renew his mandate in 2027.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is redefining leadership in Nigeria. He listens with humility, decides with courage, and acts with clarity. A true leader must not only speak for the people but must first listen to the people.
In an era characterized by arrogance and noise, President Tinubu’s attentive leadership makes him refreshingly different, profoundly human, and uniquely positioned to propel Nigeria forward, well beyond 2031.
Musa Asiru Bakare, member of APC, political analyst, writes from Lokoja, Kogi State.
November 15, 2025