By Bamidele Atoyebi

The core mission of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group has always rested on one profound conviction: leadership is not merely about occupying public office; it is about carrying a governing spirit. Offices change hands, but governing philosophies endure only when they are intentionally reproduced through men and women who understand them, believe in them and are prepared to execute them.

That is why our vision has always been to raise “walking carriers” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s governance philosophy—leaders who can replicate his developmental thinking from the Presidency to the states, from the states to the local governments and from the local governments to every ward in Nigeria.

Recent remarks by President Tinubu once again validates this position. While hosting the Olubadan and his Traditional Council at the Presidential Villa on July 30, 2026, the President again expressed his desire for leaders who share his developmental mindset. It was the latest in a series of documented interventions over the past three years in which he has consistently challenged subnational leaders to match increased resources with visible development.

His message to governors was direct and unmistakable: “You have governed before. You need to help us communicate to these governors. They are taking four to five times the money they received in the past. Nobody is borrowing money to pay salaries now. They should do more instead of flyovers here and there. Build roads and access networks that truly enhance the quality of life and improve security.”

Those were not casual remarks. They reflected a consistent philosophy President Tinubu has advanced on several notable occasions.

On December 18, 2025, at the 14th APC National Caucus Meeting, he urged governors to fully implement local government autonomy in line with the Supreme Court judgment. At the 15th APC National Executive Committee Meeting on December 19 and 20, 2025, he reinforced the same position with his now-famous analogy: “I have the knife, I have the yam,” warning that if compliance continued to lag, the Federal Government would ensure local governments received their allocations directly.

Again, on March 13, 2026, while hosting media proprietors at the Presidential Villa, the President challenged the media and the public to scrutinise state and local governments with the same intensity directed at the Federal Government. Having strengthened fiscal federalism and ensured improved allocations, he argued that accountability must now extend beyond Abuja.

This is precisely what the BAT Ideological Group has consistently argued.

The President’s heart does not merely seek administrators. It pants for builders.

One of the clearest demonstrations of this conviction is his unwavering commitment to local government autonomy.

He said: “You have your elections at the local government level. You are the supervisors, the invigilators, the INEC and everything of the local government. You elected them… Since you elected them, it means you know them. You are responsible for their survival.”

He went further: “So if you wait for my executive order, because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it before and put it directly, without the percentage, and I send it to their account.”

Although he noted that he was “being very respectful and understanding” with governors, he made it abundantly clear that the Supreme Court’s decision must be obeyed.

“The ultimate is the Supreme Court. We have to comply. We have to respect the judgment. Local government autonomy is and must be effective. There is no autonomy without funded mandates. We will give them their money directly.”

However, autonomy alone is not enough. Money without the right leadership only multiplies inefficiency.

This explains why President Tinubu keeps emphasising the same subject whenever he meets governors. The challenge before Nigeria today is not simply funding. It is leadership.

As the President also observed on March 13, 2026: “Local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So don’t bombard me. Look at local government too.”

Development can no longer be demanded exclusively from the Federal Government. States and local governments now have greater resources and must deliver measurable results.

That is why the BAT Ideological Group remains committed to institutionalising this philosophy through research, leadership development, policy advocacy and intellectual engagement.

This is why we do not sit idle complaining or merely listing the problems affecting our country. We identify policy and developmental gaps, propose practical solutions and deliberately pursue them until they are implemented. We are raising men and women who will transition from being complainers to becoming contributors—leaders who influence without authority, inspire action through ideas and character, and create measurable impact long before they occupy public office.

We are not merely supporting a political leader.

We are nurturing a governance philosophy rooted in courage, decentralisation, accountability, institution-building and measurable development.

President Tinubu concluded with perhaps the most important reminder of all:

“It is all in our hands. It is a collective responsibility.”

That single sentence captures the essence of nation-building.

The future of Nigeria cannot rest on one President alone. It requires governors who govern with purpose, local government chairmen who deliver with integrity, legislators who legislate for posterity and public servants who understand that leadership is ultimately measured not by the office one occupies but by the lives one transform.

President Tinubu’s heart continues to pant for such leaders. The BAT Ideological Group exists to help raise them.

Bamidele Atoyebi is the Convener of the BAT Ideological Group, National Coordinator of Accountability and Policy Monitoring and Publisher of Unfiltered and Mining Reporting.