Bola Tinubu, the political “Godfather” elected President of Nigeria
Bola Tinubu, a political “godfather” well-known for his strategic intelligence and affect, made no secret of his ambition to grow to be the President of Nigeria.
The 70-year-old achieved his “lifetime” aim of profitable the presidency of Africa’s most populous nation with 8.8 million votes, in accordance with the ultimate election outcomes.
Regardless of lingering questions on his well being and previous allegations of corruption, the two-time Lagos governor will succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military common who boasts of serving to deliver him to energy.
The ruling Progressive Congress get together faces accusations of electoral fraud in Saturday’s elections from two of its most important opponents. However election officers and the GPC denied the allegations.
Also known as the chieftain “Gagapan”, Tinubu has spent years constructing his Lagos energy base right into a nationwide community of contacts from Lagos market cooperatives and transport unions to political activists.
However in a shock end result from Saturday’s election, rival Labor candidate Peter Obi received Lagos state – Tinubu’s conventional stronghold of help.
“You win some, you lose some,” stated Tinubu of the end result, urging his supporters to stay calm.
Days later, the cussed chief, who carried the slogan “It is my flip”, was confirmed to have received the presidency.
Staying Energy A Muslim born in Yoruba-speaking southwestern Nigeria, Tinubu skilled as an accountant in the US and has labored for a number of American firms, together with as a cashier at oil large ExxonMobil.
He was politically energetic earlier than turning into a Senator after which Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007.
Throughout his activist days, he was chased into exile by navy dictator Sani Abacha together with dozens of others for his or her campaigns for a return to democratic rule in 1999.
Described by his allies as a shrewd political strategist, he co-founded and financed the Alliance for Democracy, which later turned the Nigeria Motion Congress, after which helped type the ruling All Progressives Celebration.
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He was instrumental in bringing collectively the APC factions, propelling Buhari to victory in 2015 and ending the 16 years in energy of the rival Folks’s Democratic Celebration (PDP).
Buhari’s election, the nation’s first for the opposition, in addition to his 2019 re-election have been attributed partially to Tinubu’s political clout.
In an indication of his endurance, Tinubu has stored a decent grip on the governor of Lagos since 1999, holding the publish till 2007 and serving to choose his successors since leaving workplace.
His affect within the Southwest angered some potential candidates who misplaced high workplace and he was criticized as dictatorial and undemocratic in fashion.
“Tinubu has a really aggressive and really highly effective political machine,” stated Dabo Thomas, a lecturer in political science on the College of Lagos.
Accusations of corruption: If Tinubu’s political energy was usually controversial, so too had been his monetary dealings.
He’s believed to be one of many richest politicians in Nigeria, and after leaving workplace he was accused of corruption, cash laundering and managing greater than a dozen overseas financial institution accounts. He was by no means charged and has denied any wrongdoing.
Through the marketing campaign, DPP critics referred to as him “wobbly, wonky and drugged”, referring to well being considerations in addition to a 1993 US courtroom submitting that cited a “forfeiture of drug-related property” from his US checking account.
The supply of his wealth is unknown however he has pursuits in a lot of enterprise ventures, from media and aviation, to tax consultancy, motels and actual property properties.
One critic referred to as him a “grasping politician” who had siphoned off main sources of revenue from Lagos.
However Data Minister Lai Mohamed, who was Tinubu’s former chief of workers, insisted that he was a talented political operator.
After the presidential inauguration scheduled for Could, Tinubu will face robust selections about eliminating expensive gas subsidies, and is predicted to deal with rising poverty and rampant insecurity.
(AFP)
