{
  "id": 18816319,
  "title": "Taxis, cows, shoes and Nigeria’s grass-to-grace politics",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/taxis-cows-shoes-and-nigerias-grass-to-grace-politics",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-07T23:54:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/taxis-cows-shoes-and-nigerias-grass-to-grace-politics/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 18, 2010, Goodluck Jonathan embarked on his campaign for the 2011 elections, recounting his humble beginnings to the crowd in Eagle Square, Abuja. He recounted his early days in school, devoid of shoes or school bags, and the grueling daily journey to school through miles and rivers. This narrative resonated with Nigerians, and Jonathan secured victory in the 2011 elections with over 10 million votes.\n\nFour years later, the man Jonathan defeated, Muhammadu Buhari, employed a similar approach, emphasizing his humble origins and current financial struggles. In 2014, he confessed to needing a loan from his bank manager for the APC's presidential nomination and expression-of-interest forms. Buhari boasted of owning around 150 cattle, stating he was never comfortable without them. He also listed several houses across Kaduna, Kano, and Daura, all acquired through borrowed funds.\n\nTinubu's story of toil and perseverance, as a taxi driver in the United States paying for his education, has also become a rallying point for his campaign. The Student Loan Scheme under his leadership has disbursed over N372 billion to over 1.6 million students nationwide. However, while Tinubu's story aligns with the grass-to-grace narrative, other factors such as tangible development records and performance in office are crucial in winning over the Nigerian electorate.",
  "summary": "On Saturday, September 18, 2010, Goodluck Jonathan stood at Eagle Square, Abuja, and told Nigerians what would become the rallying cry for his campaign in the 2011 elections. Read More: https://punchng.com/taxis-cows-shoes-and-nigerias-grass-to-grace-politics/",
  "key_points": [
    "Goodluck Jonathan recounted his shoeless school days in campaign",
    "Muhammadu Buhari, defeated in 2011, also emphasized humble origins",
    "Bola Tinubu's taxi driver story and student loan scheme highlight grass-to-grace narrative"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Leveraging personal stories of struggle and perseverance allows Nigerian political leaders to forge emotional connections with voters, though such narratives must eventually be matched by tangible governance and development.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}