By Salam Saheed
As political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, attention in Saki West State Constituency is gradually shifting to the personalities seeking to represent the area in the Oyo State House of Assembly.
Among the candidates in the race is the Accord candidate, Hajj Sanusi Wasiu Adeshina, whose political profile presents an interesting contrast to the conventional measure of electoral strength.
While financial capacity remains a major factor in Nigerian politics, particularly during election campaigns, Sanusi’s political capital appears to lie largely in his grassroots connections, experience and network built over years of participation in partisan politics.
His supporters describe him as a grassroots politician with relationships cutting across political divides in Saki, including contacts established during his years in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
That background, they argue, could give him an advantage in a constituency where personal relationships and grassroots mobilisation remain important components of political contests.
He served as a Personal Assistant(Home) to a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Jide Olatubosun, an experience that brought him into close contact with legislative and constituency politics.
During that period, he was involved in political activities and constituency engagements associated with his principal.
Those familiar with his political journey say the experience exposed him to the workings of the National Assembly, party politics, constituency representation and the intricate relationships that exist between elected representatives and their constituents.
In practical terms, the experience offered him an opportunity to observe politics from within rather than merely from the sidelines.
One feature of Sanusi’s political movement that may deserve closer attention is its apparent emphasis on physical grassroots engagement.
At a time when political campaigns are increasingly measured by social media visibility, online endorsements and the frequency of political posts, Sanusi’s activities appear to place considerable emphasis on personal contacts and community-level mobilisation.
This is not to suggest that social media has become irrelevant to elections.
Rather, constituency politics continues to operate through networks that may not always be visible online including ward-level contacts, political associates, community leaders, religious groups, youth organisations and longstanding personal relationships.
For a candidate such as Sanusi, these networks could constitute an important part of his campaign structure.
However, one area where Sanusi may face a significant challenge is financial capacity.
Political campaigns require substantial resources, from transportation and mobilisation to communication, polling-unit agents and other logistics.
Compared with some of the politicians seeking the seat, Sanusi is regarded in political circles as having relatively limited financial resources.
That could pose a serious challenge as the campaign intensifies.
Yet, the central question is whether financial strength alone should be the principal yardstick for measuring a candidate’s competitiveness in a constituency election.
Money can facilitate political mobilisation, but political networks are often built over several years.
For Sanusi, therefore, the challenge is to translate his existing relationships and grassroots contacts into an organised electoral structure capable of competing effectively across the constituency.
His previous association with the APC may also add another dimension to the contest. Having operated within the party’s political environment, Sanusi has developed relationships with individuals who may now belong to different political camps.
Such relationships do not necessarily translate into electoral support, but they could provide channels for political engagement across party lines.
This could become relevant as the 2027 election approaches and politicians negotiate alliances and relationships at the grassroots.
The real test for Sanusi will therefore be whether his grassroots political network can match the advantages enjoyed by candidates with greater financial resources or stronger established structures.
His candidacy presents a classic political dilemma: how far can a candidate with comparatively limited financial capacity go when backed by political experience, grassroots relationships and knowledge of the local terrain?
The answer will not be determined by social media.It will be determined by the voters of Saki West.
For now, Sanusi remains one of the candidates whose political strength may be difficult to assess merely from the volume of online activity surrounding the 2027 contest.
His political journey, his experience working within the legislative environment and his relationships across party lines make his candidacy worthy of attention.
Whether those assets will translate into electoral support remains a question for the campaign and, ultimately, the electorate.
But one thing is clear: the Saki West race may require political observers to look beyond the noise of social media and examine what is happening on the ground.
The outcome may become clearer after the presidential and National Assembly elections, which could significantly shape the political atmosphere and alliances ahead of the governorship and state assembly contests.
The real verdict will not come from the noise on social media, but from the ballot box.