A former Student Union Government (SUG) president of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ikechukwu Solomon Agbo, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not demand loyalty but earns it through deliberate investment in people over time.
Agbo, in a Facebook post on Thursday, argued that loyalty in leadership is not commanded but cultivated through empowerment, describing Tinubu’s political journey as a model of intentional human capital development.
He cited recent developments within the Nigeria Police Force as examples, pointing to the rise of Kayode Egbetokun, a former Chief Security Officer to Tinubu, and Olatunji Disu, who previously served as an aide-de-camp, to top leadership positions in the police hierarchy.
According to Agbo, these developments reinforce a leadership pattern in which individuals who are supported and empowered go on to achieve prominence and, in turn, remain loyal to those who invested in them.
“In leadership, loyalty is earned, not demanded. When you help people achieve their goals, they carry you forward,” he said.
Agbo described the president as a political builder and master strategist who prioritised building structures and grooming successors during and after his tenure as governor of Lagos State. He noted that several governors, national political figures and business leaders trace their rise to opportunities created during Tinubu’s years in active politics.
He further argued that the strength of Tinubu’s political network lies in shared growth rather than transactional alliances, adding that loyalty built through empowerment often proves strongest during periods of adversity.
The former student leader urged emerging leaders to study and learn from Tinubu’s leadership approach, stressing that investing in people remains one of the most sustainable ways to build influence and legacy.
“The challenge to today’s leaders is simple: when you have the opportunity to lift others, do it deliberately, because the people you raise today may become the pillars that uphold your tomorrow,” Agbo said.