Dr. AbdulAzeez Adediran (Jandor).
Senator Tokunbo Abiru.
Dr. Moruf Tunji Alausa.
3 names. 3 temperaments. 3 pathways.
And as Lagos inches, slowly but surely, towards 2027, these are men whose presence you dismiss only at great political cost.
Why these 3?
A fair question.
Perhaps because, in times past, I did not accord them the full measure of the recognition they deserve. Or perhaps because Lagos politics, like a deep chessboard, often hides its most decisive moves several steps ahead, quietly, patiently, deliberately.
But make no mistake: the intrigue has begun.
Dr. Moruf Tunji Alausa: The Quiet Storm
Dr. Alausa’s mettle is not a matter for debate, it is already well established. A man who abandoned a flourishing & deeply successful medical practice in the United States, not for applause, but for purpose. He returned home driven by conviction, determined to contribute meaningfully to the development of his country.
Much as some may argue that they have not seen enough of his work, credible intelligence suggests otherwise. Alausa, we are told, is confronting the rot in the education sector from the very roots, not with noise, but with method; not for optics, but for outcomes.
And anyone who understands reform knows this truth:
When the work is truly foundational, its full impact often reveals itself only when the task is complete.
A few individuals whose political judgment I trust, without reservation, have told me, plainly & firmly, that Alausa is the most likely incoming. No theatrics. No grandstanding. Just quiet, deliberate momentum. In politics, silence can sometimes be the loudest signal.
Senator Tokunbo Abiru: The Cerebral Constant
Then there is Senator Tokunbo Abiru, ex-banker, financial strategist, technocrat, & now seasoned politician. Since boarding the political train, his journey has appeared smooth. But smooth does not mean shallow.
Today, he stands as the Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic, representing Lagos East Senatorial Constituency, & he has made it clear that he is no siddon-look lawmaker who travelled to Abuja merely to warm a seat.
His constituency has felt him, consistently. Through interventions, engagements, & presence, Abiru has shown that governance, when done properly, must touch lives beyond press releases.
Highly cerebral, deeply composed, & institutionally grounded, Abiru represents a rare blend: intellect fused with restraint. He understands systems, respects process, & plays the long game, a trait Lagos politics often underestimates at its own peril.
Dr. AbdulAzeez Olajide Adediran (Jandor): The Street General
And then, there is Jandor.
The grassroots juggernaut.
The mobiliser.
The political disruptor.
At 48, he is one of the youngest in this equation, indeed, the 2nd youngest, yet few command the raw, organic connection to the streets that he does.
What Jandor may lack in traditional academic pedigree or formal government administrative experience, having never worked within government structures, he compensates for many times over with something far more potent in Nigerian politics: grassroots awareness, emotional intelligence, & lived connection.
Through the now-famous Lagos4Lagos movement, he built a rampaging political force that took him directly into the homes, hearts, & hopes of the people. The result? A fiercely loyal support base, supporters who see him not merely as a politician, but as God-sent.
His philanthropic reach is legendary, deeply acknowledged, & impossible to ignore.
When the APC platform proved unavailable for his gubernatorial ambition, Jandor crossed over to the PDP &, almost immediately, became their flagbearer. That singular act spoke volumes about his political weight. Were it not for the needless implosion that plagued the PDP at the time, Lagos elections might have told a far more dramatic story.
Today, he is widely believed to possess bold, transformative ideas capable of taking Lagos to its next evolutionary phase. Now back in the APC, the very platform that 1st catapulted him into the limelight, he has regained momentum, regained relevance, & regained steam.
And so the question hangs in the air, heavy & unavoidable:
Has Jandor’s time finally come?
The Deeper Equation
Lagos 2027 is shaping up to be a contest not of noise, but of depth.
Alausa represents the reformer, quiet, deliberate, foundational.
Abiru embodies the cerebral strategist, measured, institutional, steady.
Jandor is the mobiliser, the street general with emotional reach & mass loyalty.
3 men.
3 paths.
1 Lagos.
Ignore any one of them, & you do so at your own peril.
The game has started.
The board is set.
And Lagos, ever perceptive, is watching closely.
