According to a report by Daily Post, on Wednesday May 13, 2026, a popular Abuja-based political analyst, Jide Ojo, has stated that political decisions in Nigeria are often driven by strategy, calculation, and risk-taking as parties position themselves for elections.
He explained that choices made by politicians are usually based on what they believe will improve their chances of winning, even when such decisions are controversial, according to him, President Bola Tinubu adopted a Muslim-Muslim ticket strategy in 2023 because, in his view, it was a pathway to electoral victory.
He noted that the same strategy might not produce similar results for other candidates if they attempted it, he said political outcomes depend heavily on context, popularity, and timing, stressing that what works for one candidate may not work for another in a different situation.
Ojo further described Nigerian politics as a game of continuous adjustment, where politicians constantly engage in strategy, permutation, alignment and realignment in order to remain competitive, he added that such actions are within the constitutional rights of political actors.
He stated that ambition in politics requires courage, noting that those who rise to prominence must be willing to take difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions, according to him, politicians are big risk takers, and success often depends on the ability to overcome fear and make bold choices.
He stated that winning elections is never straightforward, as it involves uncertainty, shifting alliances, and voter sentiment that can change quickly and stated that political survival and success are shaped by calculated risks, strategic planning, and the willingness of leaders to make decisions that others may avoid.
“Tinubu went for a Muslim-Muslim in 2023, but some other people, if they do it, won’t even get 1/10 of the vote that he was able to get,” he said.