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hRenowned historian and public intellectual Professor Toyin Falola has described Bola Tinubu as a transactional politician surrounded by individuals motivated by profit rather than patriotism.
Speaking in an interview published by Tribune Online, the University of Texas scholar said those drawn to Tinubu are mostly self-serving figures whose interest lies in personal enrichment rather than the nation’s progress.
“Tinubu is a transactional politician, and the characters he will attract are profit-seekers. You can give them whatever name, but the underlying desire is not to uplift Nigeria but to enlarge bank accounts,” Falola stated.
The respected academic, who holds the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities, added that every leader inevitably attracts people with varying motives, many of whom come with sycophancy as their main offering.
“Every administrator always attracts a group of people with different intentions, most of whom seek incentives and profits for whatever it is they bring to the table. And for this reason, they always come with ‘things’ to the table, even if it is sycophancy,” he said.
Falola made the remarks while reacting to comments by retired Colonel Abubakar Umar, who recently warned President Tinubu against surrounding himself with “sycophantic oracles.”
Beyond politics, the distinguished scholar also reflected on education and culture, urging universities to be more open to creativity and indigenous knowledge systems, and reaffirmed his commitment to advancing African intellectual traditions.
