El-rufai, Obi, FFK, Omokri, Natasha and co: Era of political attention seekers — by Tony Ogbetere

I have reached a point in my political journey where the louder a Nigerian political gladiator screams, the less seriously I take them.

If your entire political relevance is built on controversy, outrage, hot takes, and perpetual media presence, my mind automatically files you under entertainment, not statesmanship.

People like Nasir El Rufai, Peter Obi, Reno Omokri, Femi Fani-Kayode, Ali Ndume, Enyinanya Abaribe, and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan may occasionally say things that sound intelligent or even logical—but their long history of sensationalism, self-promotion, and attention-seeking controversy makes it impossible for me to fully buy in.

When politics becomes a personal branding exercise, I disengage.

When outrage becomes a career strategy, I tune out.

When every issue must be turned into a trending topic with your name at the center, I stop listening—even if you are accidentally right.

This is not about party.
This is not about tribe.
This is not about ideology.

It is about psychological patterns.

Some politicians are addicted to relevance.
Some are addicted to noise.
Some cannot survive without the spotlight.

And once I spot that addiction, my respect level drops permanently.

The list is not exhaustive. There are at least five or six more political celebrities whose names belong here, but let me pause—because I know this post will already hurt feelings.

If you think loudness equals leadership, you will hate this post.
If you think controversy equals courage, you will rage.
If you believe politics is a performance, you will feel attacked.

And that’s fine.

Nigeria does not suffer from a lack of talkers.
Nigeria suffers from a lack of serious people.