Gabriel Atumeyi
In Nigerian politics, many survive. Some win elections. Only a few build political architecture that outlives campaigns.
Dr. Tom Ohikere is in that rare class.
He is not the politician who waits for events. He reads the terrain, anticipates the move, and positions before others see it coming. Over three decades, he has become one of Nigeria’s most respected political strategists, fusing communication, organization, and political calculation into one toolkit.
1. The Narrative Architect
Long before “strategy” became a buzzword in Nigeria , Ohikere understood a simple truth: Politics is not only about votes. It is about the story voters believe.
As Commissioner for Information under Governors Ibrahim Idris and Idris Wada in Kogi, he turned the ministry into a political command center. He did not just push government statements. He shaped public conversation, defended tough policies, and gave government a clear voice.
Few communicators are trusted across different political generations. Ohikere was. He served as campaign spokesperson for Abubakar Audu, Ibrahim Idris, Idris Wada, and Yahaya Bello — four leaders, four political eras, one strategist.
In the 2015 APC governorship race, as Head of Media and Publicity for the Audu/Faleke ticket, insiders ranked him among the most influential figures in the war room. That kind of trust is earned.
2. The Coalition Builder
Ohikere’s reach goes beyond Kogi.
He was Director General of the Yar’Adua/Jonathan 2007 Group under Second Republic Senate President Joseph Wayas — a role that demanded stitching together Nigeria’s regional and ethnic blocs at a decisive moment.
Later, he became a central figure in the Buhari Support Organisation, BSO, and served as Deputy Director North of all APC Support Groups. Between 2015 and 2019, BSO was one of the strongest grassroots mobilization platforms in the country.
In 2023, he led as Director General of the Nasser Ahmed for Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Support Group.
Different parties. Different candidates. Same constant: Tom Ohikere where strategy matters most.
3. The Media Strategist
He saw early that every movement needs a megaphone. So he built one.
As Managing Director of APC NewsOnline & TV, he created a platform to amplify ideas and engage the public. As Chairman of TAEEIAI Media Company, he kept investing in media as an instrument of leadership.
The Corporate Institute of Strategic Research later gave him a Research Chair in Media and Journalism. For Ohikere, communication has never been an afterthought. It is the strategy itself.
4. The Repositioning Strategist
Politics punishes those who stand still. Ohikere moves.
He left PDP in 2013 to help build APC in Kogi with Audu. Over a decade later, he moved to the ADC, citing ideological conviction. Critics call it defection. Allies call it foresight. The pattern is clear: He reassesses, repositions, and adapts before the ground shifts under him.
The Enduring Playmaker
What sets him apart?
Foresight: He spots trends before they trend.
Versatility: Governance, media, campaigns, national mobilization.
Execution: Less talk, more structure.
Endurance: Decades in, still at the center of strategic conversations.
Colleagues call him an “oracle of Kogi politics” and an “indispensable playmaker.” The titles stick because the work backs them.
6. The Coalition Moment
Today, as National President of the Coalition for Goodluck Jonathan, Ohikere sits at the center of a new political conversation.
The job is not ceremonial. It demands bridging regions, ethnicities, and generations without letting the coalition crack. It demands a voice that can command a room and hold competing interests together.
He is not chasing the wind. He is setting its direction.
Conclusion
Tom Ohikere’s story is not about titles. It is about systems. While others fight for microphones, he builds the structures that win elections. While noise drowns planning, he keeps building.
In an age of political theatre, he remains what he has always been: A strategist who understands how power is built, organized, and sustained.