Obi, Atiku, Tinubu, Kwankwaso: What They Did Uniquely While in Power
As political discussions ahead of Nigeria’s next general election intensify, the records of some of the country’s most prominent political figures have come under renewed scrutiny.
Among those frequently compared are former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Lagos State Governor and incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Although their political careers and offices differ considerably, each left behind policies or initiatives that supporters regard as distinctive.
A closer look at their records shows that Obi became particularly associated with fiscal discipline and human-capital investment; Atiku with economic liberalisation and privatisation; Tinubu with Lagos’ revenue and institutional reforms; while Kwankwaso built a reputation around mass education, scholarships and infrastructure.
Peter Obi: Savings, Education and Fiscal Discipline
Peter Obi served as governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2013/2014, following his return to office after his initial removal was overturned.
One of the most frequently cited features of his administration was its emphasis on saving public funds and investing in long-term development.
Obi’s administration said Anambra became the first Nigerian state to establish a sub-sovereign wealth savings arrangement and left substantial investments in local and foreign currency at the end of his tenure. His 2023 presidential manifesto also listed approximately $500 million in investments and savings, including dollar-denominated bonds.
Education was another major focus. Obi’s administration invested in school infrastructure and promoted measures aimed at improving academic performance. In a 2014 interview, Obi himself identified the improvement of education as one of his administration’s major achievements, pointing to the state’s improved performance in WAEC and NECO examinations.
His administration also invested in healthcare, roads and security and sought to attract private-sector investments to the state.
What was unique about Obi?
The strongest defining feature of Obi’s record was his emphasis on fiscal prudence and saving for the future, alongside investments in education and healthcare.
In simple terms, his governance philosophy was often presented as:
“Save government money, avoid unnecessary spending and invest in human capital and infrastructure.”
Atiku Abubakar: Economic Liberalisation and Privatisation
Atiku Abubakar’s principal executive experience came as Vice-President under President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007.
Unlike the other three politicians, his most prominent record was largely at the federal economic-policy level.
As Vice-President, Atiku chaired the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) and played an important role in the government’s programme of economic liberalisation and privatisation.
The Bureau of Public Enterprises confirms that the reform programme launched from 1999 involved privatisation, commercialisation and liberalisation of key sectors of the economy.
Atiku’s role was particularly associated with the liberalisation of telecommunications. Contemporary accounts credit the Obasanjo administration’s decision to introduce private competition into the sector with helping to transform Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
The reforms also involved the sale or restructuring of a number of government-owned enterprises.
However, it is important to make one distinction: although Atiku has at times described himself as having headed the Economic Management Team, fact-checking by AFP and TheCable found that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala headed the Economic Management Team established in 2003, while Atiku headed the National Economic Council and chaired the National Council on Privatisation.
What was unique about Atiku?
His strongest distinctive contribution was his role in opening Nigeria’s economy to greater private-sector participation, particularly through privatisation and telecommunications liberalisation.
His record can therefore be summarised as:
“Move government away from running businesses and create room for private investment and competition.”
Bola Tinubu: Building Lagos’ Revenue and Institutions
Bola Ahmed Tinubu governed Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 before becoming president in 2023.
His Lagos tenure is perhaps best known for revenue mobilisation, institutional reform and strategic urban planning.
One of the most significant changes during his administration was the expansion of Lagos’ internally generated revenue.
Africa Check, citing historical data, reported that Lagos’ annual IGR increased from about N14.6 billion in 1999 to N83.02 billion in 2007, representing a growth of more than 468 per cent.
The administration reorganised the state’s revenue collection machinery, introduced technology into tax administration and strengthened the institutional structure of revenue collection. Punch has also documented the reorganisation of the former Board of Internal Revenue into the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service and the deployment of computerised financial systems.
Tinubu’s administration also worked on urban planning, infrastructure, transportation, healthcare and education. A World Bank assessment of Lagos’ reform period noted significant improvements in public transport infrastructure, public spaces and internally generated revenue.
His administration’s confrontation with the Federal Government over Lagos’ local government allocations also became a major episode in the state’s history. The dispute eventually produced important legal and constitutional arguments over federalism and local government administration.
What was unique about Tinubu?
Tinubu’s strongest signature was arguably building a more financially independent and institutionally organised Lagos State.
His governance model can be summarised as:
“Increase internally generated revenue, strengthen institutions and use a stronger financial base to drive development.”
Rabiu Kwankwaso: Mass Education and Scholarships
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso served as governor of Kano State from 1999 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015.
His administration became particularly associated with education, scholarships, youth empowerment and large-scale infrastructure.
During his second tenure, his government established the Northwest University, Kano, while his earlier administration had established Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil. His government also established numerous training institutions and scholarship programmes.
Kwankwaso’s administration became known for providing scholarships to Kano students studying both within Nigeria and abroad.
His education programme also included free education initiatives, school uniforms and feeding programmes for pupils. Supporters of the administration have attributed a significant increase in school enrolment to these policies.
Infrastructure was another major component of the Kwankwaso administration. His government constructed roads, flyovers and drainage projects and developed housing estates, while also investing in technical and vocational education.
What was unique about Kwankwaso?
Kwankwaso’s most distinctive legacy was his mass-oriented approach to education and human-capital development, particularly through scholarships and the expansion of educational institutions.
His model could be summarised as:
“Put large numbers of young people through school, provide skills and scholarships, and expand infrastructure at the same time.”
Four Leaders, Four Distinctive Legacies
Although political supporters often argue over who performed best, their records point to different areas of emphasis.
Peter Obi — Fiscal discipline and savings
His administration placed considerable emphasis on saving public funds and investing in education, healthcare and infrastructure.
Atiku Abubakar — Economic liberalisation
His major executive legacy was his role in the Obasanjo administration’s privatisation and private-sector-oriented economic reforms.
Bola Tinubu — Revenue and institutional reform
His Lagos administration focused heavily on strengthening the state’s internally generated revenue, public institutions and long-term development framework.
Rabiu Kwankwaso — Education and human capital
His administrations in Kano placed exceptional emphasis on scholarships, schools, tertiary institutions, skills development and youth empowerment.
The Bigger Question
The comparison becomes more complicated when their records are examined beyond political slogans.
Obi and Kwankwaso were primarily state-level administrators, while Tinubu’s most frequently assessed executive record is also his tenure as Lagos governor, and Atiku’s most consequential executive experience came as Vice-President at the federal level.
Consequently, judging them solely by the number of roads, schools or projects completed would not provide an entirely fair comparison.
A more meaningful assessment would examine what each inherited, the resources available, the policies introduced, measurable outcomes, sustainability of those policies and how much of the legacy survived after leaving office.
Ultimately, the four men represent four different approaches to governance:
Obi — save and invest.
Atiku — liberalise and privatise.
Tinubu — generate revenue and build institutions.
Kwankwaso — expand education and human capital.
The debate over which model Nigeria needs most remains a political question, but their respective records provide useful material for comparing different approaches to leadership and public administration.
