No Vacancy in Aso Rock? Oba of Lagos Endorses Tinubu as Atiku’s Camp Fires Back

2027: NO VACANCY IN ASO ROCK? OBA OF LAGOS ENDORSES TINUBU AS ATIKU’S CAMP FIRES BACK

The Oba of Lagos has openly backed President Bola Tinubu for a second term, prompting a sharp response from Atiku Abubakar’s camp and reopening a larger question about the role of traditional institutions in Nigeria’s electoral politics.

Exclusive to Ekocity | By Ekocity Politics & Governance Desk

LAGOS — The 2027 presidential contest has entered a new phase, not through a campaign rally or party convention, but from the palace of one of Nigeria’s most prominent traditional rulers. The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has publicly endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s bid for another term, declaring during a visit by the All-Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council that “there is no vacancy in Aso Rock” for the next four or five years. (The Cable)

The remark immediately became a political talking point. The APC campaign council, led by its Director-General, Abdulaziz Yari, was in Lagos as part of its consultations with traditional and religious leaders ahead of the 2027 election. Akiolu did not limit his intervention to an expression of support. He also urged politicians to conduct the election peacefully and warned against the Machiavellian idea that the end justifies the means. (The Cable) But the declaration drew a sharp response from the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate.

Atiku’s media aide, Phrank Shaibu, argued that while a traditional ruler can express a personal preference, the decision over who occupies the presidency belongs to Nigerian voters through the constitutional electoral process. His response described Aso Rock as not being an extension of the Oba’s palace and rejected the idea that the presidency could effectively be settled before Nigerians vote. (Punch Newspapers)

The clash illustrates a familiar tension in Nigerian politics: traditional authority occupies an important cultural and social space, while constitutional authority over elected office rests with the electorate and the institutions established to conduct elections. That distinction has become particularly visible as traditional rulers increasingly receive political delegations seeking dialogue, goodwill and public support ahead of elections.

Interestingly, the same APC campaign council received a more explicitly nonpartisan message from the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III. The Sultan urged voters to listen carefully to politicians, assess their promises and make their own choices. He also called for peaceful, issue-based campaigns and respect for the electorate’s decision. (The Guardian Nigeria)

The contrasting messages from two of Nigeria’s most influential traditional institutions underline the complexity of the 2027 contest. For Tinubu’s campaign, Akiolu’s endorsement is a public expression of support from a highly prominent Lagos traditional institution. For Atiku’s camp, the response is an opportunity to emphasise electoral sovereignty and the distinction between endorsement and the actual constitutional process through which a president is chosen.

Atiku and the ADC have formally submitted his presidential candidacy to INEC for the 2027 election. (ADC) Ultimately, the phrase “no vacancy” remains a political declaration, not an electoral result. The presidency is contested through an election, and the authority to determine its occupant rests with the constitutional electoral process. As Nigeria moves closer to 2027, the more consequential question may therefore be less about who speaks from the palace and more about how politicians, institutions and voters navigate the space between influence, endorsement and the ballot. In a democracy, endorsements can shape the conversation. The vote determines the office.

Fawumi Kayode Abiodun
Political Analyst | CEO, Ekocity Media | Publisher, Ekocity Magazine and The Capitol Post