Faleke’s Rising Influence: From Presidential  Confidant to GAC Kingmaker

On a recent Tuesday morning in Abuja, James Faleke walked into the APC National Secretariat and paid N100 million for the nomination forms for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. The lawmaker representing Ikeja became the first to signal a campaign many had only discussed in whispers formally.

Faleke’s role within the Tinubu administration is often described as discreet yet formidable. As Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and a ranking member of the House of Representatives, he operates at the crucial intersection between the executive’s Renewed Hope agenda and the legislative framework required to finance it. Yet his influence stems less from office and more from years of unwavering strategic loyalty.

Long before Tinubu ascended to the presidency, Faleke had positioned himself among the most dependable architects of that journey. He founded the Tinubu Support Groups (TSG), building a nationwide political structure while many others remained hesitant observers. During the 2023 presidential primaries, he served as Tinubu’s personal agent on the ground — a sensitive responsibility reserved only for those whose loyalty is beyond question.

That proximity has demanded sacrifice. In recent years, Faleke stepped aside from the Kogi State governorship contest, choosing instead to remain in Abuja and consolidate his national relevance.

Now, another layer has been added to his growing stature. Faleke has been appointed a member of the influential Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the highest political decision-making caucus of the Lagos State APC. The appointment places him firmly within the inner circle of the structure that has shaped Lagos politics for decades, further strengthening his standing as both a national operator and a key state power broker.

The 2027 political calendar is already in motion. With INEC fixing the presidential election for January 16, 2027, and party primaries commencing in April 2026, the contest ahead has quietly begun. Faleke, by personally collecting the nomination forms, has sent a clear signal to the political class: while the President governs, the machinery of his return is already being assembled by one of his most trusted and increasingly powerful allies.