Na few pipo foresee say Xi Jinping go become di most confident Chinese leader in many years – now im don secure historic third term in power. Over 10 years ago, pipo no too sabi Mr Xi - apart from di fact say e be "princeling" or party crown prince, because im papa bin be one of di kontri revolutionary leaders.  Im lineage help am win di support of party elders, wey dey important to get power witin di Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as dis leaders get political influence even afta dem retire. "Before im upgrade, pipo see Xi Jinping as pesin wey fit compromise wit everyone," Joseph Fewsmith, one expert for Chinese elite politics for Boston University tok.   But 10 years later, e be like say nobody fit question oga Xi authority and nobody fit rival im power. How dat take happun? Di barrel of gun Mao Zedong, di founding father of Communist China, bin tok say: "Political power dey grow out of di barrel of gun."  Afta di establishment of di People's Republic of China for 1949, Mao ensure say na di party, no be di state, dey control di People's Liberation Army (PLA). Since then, di CCP leader also be di Central Military Commission (CMC) chairman. Xi dey lucky pass im predecessor Hu Jintao because im become di CMC chairman instanta - and e no waste time to remove all im opposition within di armed forces. Di most shocking tin happun for 2014 and 2015, when former CMC Vice Chairman Xu Caihou and former PLA General Guo Boxiong chop accuse of corruption. "Dem don already retire wen di axe fall for dia head, but Xi ability to target dem reduce di former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin remaining influence for di PLA," Joel Wuthnow, one senior fellow for di Pentagon-funded National Defense University tok. "Dis also send powerful signal give current serving military officers say no one wey resists Xi  control dey immune from harm," e add. For 2015, Oga Xi alsorearrange di structure of di military. Dis end di four military headquarters - staff, politics, logistics and armaments - and replace dem wit 15 smaller agencies. Di new structure allow di CMC to issue orders directly to di various branches of di military – wey extend as far as even financial auditors, wey dey report directly to di CMC now, oga Wuthnow add. Last month di People's Liberation Army Daily, di kontri official military newspaper, publish one article wey emphasize say di CMC na di overall command. "Di message help counter any tendency wey fit develop for di military to build loyalty towards senior PLA leaders wey fit someday oppose Xi," Timothy Heath, one senior international defence researcher for US think tank RAND corporation tok. "Loyalty to di party mean say di PLA dey expected to carry out any and all orders to keep di party, and Xi in particular, in power." Loyalty dey come first After e secure di gun barrel, e dey essential to bring di knife - di internal security apparatus - under total control. Two years afta Xi come to power, authorities confam di arrest of one "tiger", former domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang, for corruption. He dey closely linked wit Bo Xilai, anoda "princeling" wey be rival of Oga Xi.  Di investigation send political shockwaves as e shatter di unspoken rule say members of di Politburo Standing Committee, di most powerful decision-making body, no suppose face criminal punishment. "Xi Jinping turn out to be ruthlessly brilliant politician wey patiently rise through di system before e seize im moment to rule," Neil Thomas, one senior China analyst of Eurasia Group tok. "Di communist party elders wey support Xi rise dey surprise by di speed and extent of im power grab."  Observers say Oga Xi dey use im signature anti-corruption campaign to also remove im political rivals and oda factions witin di party. For di past decade, ant-corruption authorities don investigate more than 4.7 million pipo. "For di last two years, Xi also remove career security officials wey support im rise to power in di first place," Victor Shih, one political scientist for di University of California, San Diego tok.  "Now na officials wey share past history wit Xi and pipo wey e trust na dem dey run security agencies" Oga Xi pack im loyalists put for important regional posts, like di party secretaries of key cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing. These positions dey important because na dem dey responsible for "interpreting and implementing central directives for localities wit millions of pipo", Oga Thomas tok. At least 24 out of di 31 provincial-level party secretaries na political associates of Xi, wey sabi im family, go school wit am, work under him, or work for one of im close allies, Thomas tok. Meanwhile oga Xi promote nearly all of di 281 standing committee members wey dey di provincial standing committees according to data compiled by Wu Guoguang, one politics professor for di University of Victoria for Canada.    Crafting personal brand For 2018 "Xi Jinping Thought [tinking]on Socialism wit Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" dey enshrined for China constitution. E fit sound somehow but to get ideology wey dey named afta am na something wey cement Xi legacy. Before Xi, only Chairman Mao don achieve dis. Even Deng Xiaoping, wey dem sabi as di architect of China modernisation, only get "theory" under im name, while Xi immediate predecessors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, no get any thought or theories attach to dia names.  "Xi' thought main aim na to make im own legitimacy and power strong above anyone else for di CCP and for di kontri.” Na part of one new personality cult wey link Xi not only to Mao but to di most glorious and successful Chinese emperors of yesteryear," Jean-Pierre Cabestan, one emeritus professor of political science for Hong Kong Baptist University tok. Dozens of universities and institutions, including di prestigious Peking University and Tsinghua University, don set up research centres under Oga Xi names, according to Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao.  For August, di Ministry of Education unveiled one plan to promote Xi Jinping Thought for di national curriculum.  For 2019, one mobile app wey dem call Xuexi Qiangguo - wey translate into "Learn from Xi, Strengthen di kontri" - wey includes quizzes on Xi Jinping Thought don launch. Xi believe say "im get di correct ideology, and everybody must accept am," Andrew Nathan, one political science professor for Columbia University tok. "Whenever Mao take policy position, everybody else gatz fall in line, and dat also dey true of Xi."