What is the relevance of the title A Man of the People?

Chinua calls Mr. Nanga “man of the people” in the first lines of the book. He is a charismatic politician, and the people love him. He is also corrupt and sees no problem with living in luxury while many of his constituents are terribly poor. Chuna uses the juxtaposition between charisma and corruption asking the reader to define and redefine exactly what being a man of the people means.