History is also replete with the advent of strong men on the world stage, often determining the beginning of a new global order. We have had the likes of Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill, Hitler, Fidel Castro, George Washington, Mao Zedong, Stalin, Nelson Mandela, Barrack Obama, Kwame Nkurumah, and Muamah Gaddafi and now, Donald Trump in no particular order.

Back home in Nigeria, we remember strong leaders like the late General Murtala Mohammed, General Muhammadu Buhari, General Ibrahim Babanhida, General Sani Abacha and General Olusegun Obasanjo. The likes of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, General Yakubu Gowon, Presidents Shehu Shagari, Musa Yar’ Adua and Goodluck Jonathan are not considered strong by the polity even though their reign as Nigerian leaders has been adjusted as equally eventful and remarkable.

But, incumbent Nigerian leader and President of the Republic, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is miles ahead of the pack. He stands tall in comparison to previous occupiers of the number one seat of power. And he has done so not necessarily by a stroke of luck, but by a well calculated masterstroke which has seen him outpacing his predecessors.

Tinubu rose to the top through a labyrinth of paths that his opponents neither understood nor were able to compete on. His case was that of a maverick, who at some point was a kingmaker, a griot and as well Cicero who had his path defined in conspiracy with the stars.

Whether as a Senator in the Second Republic, a pro-democracy activist, two time Governor of Lagos State, and now, President of Nigeria, the Jagaban of Borgu had his eyes set on the plum job, with uncommon resilience that today has seen him rewriting the country’s history in different spheres. He was not one to be persuaded by any medicine man to abandon his dream to be the No 1 Citizen. He chose to light his horizon with unprecedented zeal: the Emilokan (It’s my turn) spirit.

It is a testament to his strength of character and leadership acumen, that most of those who started with him either as disciples, friends or political associates are still with him till date. They helped to make the man who he is today. They helped Asiwaju achieve a 30-year dream

And even though Buhari acted indifferent when the former Governor indicated interest to run for president early in 2022, it is on record that Tinubu brushed aside the stature of the then incumbent President to pick the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and subsequently went on to win in the general elections.

No one predicted that Tinubu would be a champion for State Police as the present unitary system favours an incumbent. Contrary to what his predecessors had done by opting to retain the status quo, Asiwaju remains unrepentant that only state police can rescue Nigeria from the multiple security challenges facing her.

The bold decision to float the nation’s currency has resulted in the stability of the Naira as well as boost our foreign reserves. Foreign Direct Investment is on the upswing, with multilateral deals being signed with many superpowers, all aimed at buoying up the economy.

But no one could have expected the political calculus that the President has deployed since he came to office to yield the kind of fruits that everyone is seeing. Who could have imagined that a day will come when 32 out of 36 governors will belong to a single political party? Well, that’s what has happened under Tinubu’s watch.

As it stands, the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is now almost in tatters, with the chairman of its Governors forum, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, among the latest entrants into the APC. Who would have thought that political rivals and erstwhile allies could one day be cocooned under one roof? Well, that is what has happened with Jagaban be fully in charge of the polity.

Hate or like him, you can’t ignore a fact of history. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a statesman to be reckoned with, a visionary, though subtle in his mien, has the foresight to dream about tomorrow. His audacious reforms have almost rewritten the wasted years of Buhari and given the citizenry a new sense of hope.

As he clocks 74 today, March 29, 2026, it is only fitting that he should be celebrated. He truly deserves the accolades from far and near. But then, we don’t have to be hasty in passing the actual verdict of history, giving the undeniable fact that Mr President still has more than a year to conclude his first term in office. There’s still more time to his epithets on the sands of time.