President Bola Tinubu has released a heartfelt tribute for his ally and former Governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, as the politician turns 87 today.
Aremo Chief Olusegun Osoba is a man the president has known for so many years that they could easily write a book about one another. His hearty laughter when sharing a joke, his stern expression when focused, and his depth in moments of decision are all familiar to Tinubu. Behind the titles, the pen, and the politics stands a man whose first instinct is always to serve.
Tinubu and Osoba entered public life from different doorways, but they found themselves in the same house: the house of an idea – that Nigeria could be governed with competence, respect for institutions, and an unyielding belief that our people deserve better. That idea carried them through challenging campaigns, late-night strategy sessions over hot pepper soup and spirited debates, and early mornings when they faced the press determined to speak the truth even when it was inconvenient.
Their shared ideals have never been complicated, though living them has not always been easy. They believe in federalism that works, a press that is free but responsible and in leaders who remain accessible, not because of photo opportunities, but because they remember what it was like before the convoys. Osoba embodies those ideals first as a journalist, then as a politician and leader.
Tinubu watched how Osoba treated young reporters — never with condescension, always with a correction and a story to go with it. He would take a bad headline, mark it in red, and then ask, “But what is the human angle here? Who is affected?” In strategy rooms where everyone was cracking their brains about votes and victory, Osoba would remind them about the newspaper vendor at CMS or the classroom teacher in Ijebu-Ode.
Their journey together has weathered its storms. There were times when the path was unclear, and the cost of staying the course felt high. On those days, Osoba’s calm demeanour was an anchor. He has a gift for sharing historical anecdotes about the great Chief Awolowo, the old Western Region, and a mistake made and learned from. Those anecdotes turn panic into perspective.
Tinubu admires most Osoba’s consistency. In public and in private, he is the same man. He will call to ask about your family before discussing your schedule. He will send a handwritten note, not out of necessity but because courtesy matters. He will firmly disagree with you, then walk with you to your car, because the argument is about the work and its outcome, not about the person.
And so, as Osoba celebrates his 87th birthday, Tinubu doesn’t wish him more. Instead, he wishes him health and more mornings to enjoy his tea and read the newspapers. He wishes Osoba the joy of seeing the ideas they nurtured together take deeper root – schools that work, roads that last, and a government that answers to its people.