In Lagos politics, the spotlight often lingers on the loudest voice in the room. But sometimes, it tilts quietly and deliberately toward the man who says little and does much. Lately, that man is Dr. Tunji Alausa.
His journey is anything but typical. A trained nephrologist with a résumé stitched together in London, Chicago, and Milwaukee, Alausa was, until recently, best known in clinical circles. But Lagos is a city where former accountants and chief bureaucrats have found their way into the governor’s lodge. Alausa, now Minister of Education, seems poised to follow the script—if not rewrite it.
Appointed Minister of State for Health in 2023, then reassigned to head Education less than a year later, Alausa’s leap across ministries raised eyebrows, but it also raised his profile. In a country where technocrats are rarely central players, he is inching toward the centre.
Whispers of his gubernatorial potential began as a rumour. Then came the public nod from the League of Concerned Lagosians, a political bloc not known for casual endorsements. With it, murmurs turned to certainty. No campaign posters yet, but the machinery may already be humming.
Unlike some aspirants, Alausa has no sprawling grassroots base. But Lagos’ recent political history suggests this might not be a problem. The city has a knack for turning quiet insiders into front-runners, provided they carry the blessing of the city’s political architects. And Alausa, by several accounts, just might.
Still, questions linger. Can a physician-turned-minister navigate the sharp elbows of Lagos politics? Can technical competence translate into electoral muscle? It is too early to say. But early indicators suggest that he is not merely being watched—he is being positioned.
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