Bola Tinubu
Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu (born 29 March 1952)[1] is a Nigerian accountant, politician and the president-elect of Nigeria.[2] He served as the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and Senator for Lagos West during the brief Third Republic.[3]
Bola Tinubu | |
|---|---|
Tinubu in 2011 | |
| President-elect of Nigeria | |
| Assuming office 29 May 2023 | |
| Vice President | Kashim Shettima (elect) |
| Succeeding | Muhammadu Buhari |
| 12th Governor of Lagos State | |
| In office 29 May 1999 – 29 May 2007 | |
| Deputy | Kofoworola Bucknor Femi Pedro |
| Preceded by | Buba Marwa |
| Succeeded by | Babatunde Fashola |
| Senator for Lagos West | |
| In office 5 December 1992 – 17 November 1993 | |
| Succeeded by | Wahab Dosunmu (1999) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 March 1952 Lagos, British Nigeria |
| Political party | All Progressives Congress (2013–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Social Democratic Party (1992–1993) Alliance for Democracy (1998–2006) Action Congress of Nigeria (2006–2013) |
| Spouse | Oluremi Tinubu |
| Alma mater | Richard J. Daley College Chicago State University (BS) |
| Occupation | Accountant, politician |
Tinubu spent his early life in southwestern Nigeria and later moved to United States where he studied Accounting at Chicago State University. He returned to Nigeria in the early 1980s and was employed by Mobil Nigeria as an accountant, before entering politics as a Lagos West senatorial candidate in 1992 under the banner of the Social Democratic Party. After dictator Sani Abacha dissolved the Senate in 1993, Tinubu became an activist campaigning for the return of democracy as a part of the National Democratic Coalition movement. Although he was forced into exile in 1994, Tinubu returned after Abacha's 1998 death triggered the beginning of the transition to the Fourth Republic.[4]
In the first post-transition Lagos State gubernatorial election, Tinubu won by a wide margin as a member of the Alliance for Democracy over the Peoples Democratic Party's Dapo Sarumi and the All People's Party's Nosirudeen Kekere-Ekun.[5] Four years later, he won re-election to a second term over the PDP's Funsho Williams by a reduced margin.[6] Tinubu's two terms were marked by attempts at modernizing the city of Lagos and his feuds with the PDP-controlled federal government.[7] After leaving office in 2007, he since played a key role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress in 2013.[8][9] Long and controversial, Tinubu's career has been plagued by accusations of corruption and questions about the veracity of his personal history.[10][11][12]
Early life and education
According to affidavits, Tinubu was born on 29 March 1952. His mother, Abibatu Mogaji, was a trader that later became the Iyaloja of Lagos State. He attended St. John's Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos and Children's Home School in Ibadan. Tinubu then went to the United States in 1975, where he studied first at Richard J. Daley College in Chicago and then at Chicago State University. He graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.[13]
Disputes over his age, educational qualifications and name emerged throughout his political career due to conflicting documents and statements from Tinubu himself. While there are unsubstantiated rumours that Tinubu was born with a different name to a different family in modern-day Osun State, the main controversy was sparked by discrepancies in certificates Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.[14] Documents submitted ahead of running for governor in 1999 falsely stated that Tinubu attended Government College, Ibadan for secondary school and Chicago State University records had his birth year as 1954, not 1952; in response, Tinubu claimed Tokunbo Afikuyomi, who was then a senator,[15] accidentally falsified the 1999 submission and the university had simply made an error.[16] The controversy was reignited in 2022 when documentation submitted by Tinubu to INEC for the presidential election was released, revealing that he did not state the primary or secondary school he attended in contradiction with previous sworn forms and public statements.[17][18][19]
Early career and ties to drug trafficking
Tinubu worked for the American companies Arthur Andersen, Deloitte and GTE Services Corporation.[20] After returning to Nigeria in 1983, he joined Mobil Oil Nigeria, and later became a company executive.[21]
During his time in the United States, Tinubu was noted for his suspiciously high income before being investigated by federal authorities; eventually his assets were frozen in 1993 as a result of a court case asserting that the American government had "probable cause" to believe Tinubu's American bank accounts held the proceeds of heroin dealing. He settled with the government and forfeited about $460,000 later that year. Court documents and later reporting on the case showed he was a bagman for two Chicago heroin dealers in the early 1990s.[22][23][24]
Early political career
His political career began in 1992,[25] when he joined the Social Democratic Party where he was a member of the Peoples Front faction led by Shehu Musa Yar'Adua and made up of other politicians such as Umaru Yar'Adua, Atiku Abubakar, Baba Gana Kingibe, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, Magaji Abdullahi, Dapo Sarumi and Yomi Edu. He was elected to the Senate, representing the Lagos West constituency in the short-lived Nigerian Third Republic.[26]
After the results of the 12 June 1993 presidential elections were annulled, Tinubu became a founding member of the pro-democracy National Democratic Coalition, a group which mobilized support for the restoration of democracy and recognition of Moshood Abiola as winner of the 12 June election. Following the seizure of power as military head of state of General Sani Abacha, he went into exile in 1994 and returned to the country in 1998 after the death of the military dictator, which ushered in the transition to the Fourth Nigerian Republic.[27]
In the run-up to the 1999 elections, Bola Tinubu was a protégé of Alliance for Democracy (AD) leaders Abraham Adesanya and Ayo Adebanjo.[28] He went on to win the AD primaries for the Lagos State governorship elections in defeating Funsho Williams and Wahab Dosunmu, a former Minister of Works and Housing.[29] In January 1999, he stood for the position of Governor of Lagos State on the AD ticket and was elected governor.[30]
Governor of Lagos State
After he assumed office in May 1999, Tinubu provided multiple housing units in Lagos for the poor.[31] During the eight-year period of being in office, he made large investments in education in the state and also reduced the number of schools in the state by returning many schools to the already settled former owners.[32] He also initiated new road construction, required to meet the needs of the fast-growing population of the state.[33]
Tinubu, alongside a new deputy governor, Femi Pedro, won re-election into office as governor in April 2003. All other states in the South West fell to the People's Democratic Party in those elections.[34] He was involved in a struggle with the Olusegun Obasanjo-controlled federal government over whether Lagos State had the right to create new Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to meet the needs of its large population. The controversy led to the federal government seizing funds meant for local councils in the state.[citation needed] During the latter part of his term in office, he was engaged in continuous clashes with PDP powers such as Adeseye Ogunlewe, a former Lagos State senator who had become minister of works, and Bode George, the southwest chairman of the PDP.[35]
Relations between Tinubu and deputy governor Femi Pedro became increasingly tense after Pedro declared his intention to run for the gubernatorial elections. Pedro competed to become the AC candidate for governor in the 2007 elections, but withdrew his name on the eve of the party nomination. He defected to the Labour Party while still keeping his position as deputy governor.[36] Tinubu's tenure as Lagos State Governor ended on 29 May 2007, when his successor Babatunde Fashola of the Action Congress took office.[37][38]
Post-governorship
In 2006, Tinubu attempted to persuade the then-vice president of Nigeria Atiku Abubakar to become the head of his party, the Action Congress (AC). Abubakar who was a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), had recently fallen out with President Olusegun Obasanjo over Abubakar's ambition to succeed Obasanjo as president. Tinubu offered Abubakar the chance to switch parties and join the AC, offering him the his party's presidential candidacy, with the condition that he, Tinubu, would be Atiku Abubakar's running mate. Atiku declined the proposition and, having switched to the AC, chose a running mate from the South East, Senator Ben Obi. Although Atiku ran for office on Tinubu's platform in the election, the PDP still won, in a landslide.[39]
In 2009, following the landslide victory of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the April 2007 elections, Tinubu became involved in negotiations to bring together the fragmented opposition parties into a "mega-party" capable of challenging the then ruling PDP.[40] In February 2013, Tinubu was among several politicians who created a "mega opposition" party with the merger of Nigeria's three biggest opposition parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the new PDP (nPDP), a faction of the then ruling People's Democratic Party[41] – into the All Progressives Congress (APC).[42]
In 2014, Tinubu supported former military head of state General Muhammadu Buhari, leader of the CPC faction of the APC – who commanded widespread following in Northern Nigeria, and had previously contested in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections as the CPC presidential candidate.[43] Tinubu initially wanted to become Buhari's vice presidential candidate but later conceded for Yemi Osibanjo, his ally and former commissioner of justice.[44] In 2015, Buhari rode the APC to victory, ending the 16-year rule of the PDP, and marking the first time an incumbent Nigerian president lost to an opposition candidate.[45]
Tinubu has gone on to play an important role in the Buhari administration, supporting government policies and holding onto the internal party reins, in lieu of his long-held rumored presidential aspiration.[46] In 2019, he supported Buhari's re-election campaign defeating the PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar. In 2020, following an internal party crisis which led to the removal of Tinubu ally and party chairman Adams Oshiomole, it is believed the move was to scuttle Tinubu's presidential prospects ahead of 2023.[47]
President-elect of Nigeria
2023 presidential campaign
On 10 January 2022, Tinubu made his formal announcement of candidacy for president.[48][49][50]
On 8 June 2022, Tinubu won the party convention vote of the ruling APC, scoring 1,271, to defeat Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Rotimi Amaechi who scored 235 and 316 respectively.[51]
On 1 March 2023, INEC declared Tinubu winner of the 2023 presidential election.[52] He was declared president-elect after he polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat his opponents.[53] His runner-up Atiku Abubakar of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) polled 6,984,520 votes. Labour Party’s Peter Obi had 6,101,533 votes to come third.[54]
Controversies
Illegal operation of foreign accounts
In April 2007, after the general elections, but before the governor-elect Babatunde Fashola had taken office, the Federal Government brought Tinubu before the Code of Conduct Bureau for trial over the alleged illegal operation of 16 separate foreign accounts.[55]
In January 2009, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission cleared Tinubu and governors James Ibori of Delta State and Obong Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom State of charges of conspiracy, money laundering, abuse of office and official corruption in relation to a sale of Vmobile network shares in 2004.[56] In March 2009, there were reports that a plot had been identified to kill Tinubu. The Alliance for Democracy called on the Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, to conduct a thorough investigation.[57] In September 2009, there were reports that the British Metropolitan Police were investigating a transaction in which the Lagos State government made an investment in Econet (now Airtel). Tinubu said the transaction was straightforward and profitable to the state, with no intermediaries involved.[58] The Federal Government rejected a request by Britain to release evidence needed for further investigation and prosecution of the three Nigerian ex-governors in a London court.[59]
Political godfatherism and hooliganism in Lagos state
Tinubu has been widely perceived as the "Godfather of Lagos".[60] His role in pulling the strings of the mega city-state was exposed in The Lion of Bourdillon, a 2015 documentary film highlighting Tinubu's political and financial grip on the city-state. Tinubu filed a ₦150 billion libel suit against the producers, Africa Independent Television (AIT).[61] The documentary ceased airing on 6 March 2015. He has attempted to strongarm the political process, including in December 2009, when it was reported that Fashola and Tinubu had fallen out over the issue of Fashola's re-election as Governor of Lagos in 2011, with Tinubu preferring the commissioner for environment, Muiz Banire.[62] A similar conflict took place in 2015 over Fashola's successor, Akinwunmi Ambode, pitting Fashola against Tinubu, who threw his full weight behind Ambode.[63] Ambode succeeded Fashola, was ousted by Tinubu and replaced by incumbent Babajide Sanwo-Olu.[64][65]
Use of bullion vans to influence elections in Lagos state
During the 2019 election, a bullion van was seen entering Tinubu's residence on Bourdillion Road in Ikoyi, which he explained: "I keep money anywhere I want."[66]
Personal life
Tinubu is a Muslim.[67] He is married to Oluremi Tinubu, the current senator of the Lagos Central senatorial district.[68] Tinubu's mother, Abibatu Mogaji, died on 15 June 2013 at the age of 96.[69] On 31 October 2017, his son, Jide Tinubu, died in London.[70]
Chieftaincies
Tinubu holds two chieftaincies, as Asiwaju of Lagos and Jagaban of the Borgu kingdom in Niger State.[67]
See also
- Timeline of Lagos, 2000s
References
- ^ "Fayemi salutes Tinubu at 69, says he is leader of leaders". Legit. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ Times, Premium (1 March 2023). "BREAKING: INEC declares APC's Bola Tinubu winner of Nigeria's presidential election". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu-1999-2007 – BabaJide Sanwo-Olu – Governor of Lagos State". Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Tinubu at 69: His life story, from rugged early period, escape to exile, others". The News Nigeria. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Nigeria: Tinubu Wins By Landslide". P.M. News. Lagos: AllAfrica. 11 January 1999. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Nwabuko, Chukwudi (21 April 2003). "Nigeria: Tinubu Wins Lagos Guber Race". ThisDay. AllAfrica. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Lawal, Leonard; Egbejule, Eromo; Norbrook, Nicholas (5 April 2016). "Nigeria: Lagos, Maximum City". The Africa Report. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Smith, Patrick (27 April 2012). "Nigeria, the Shadow government". The Africa Report. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Ayeni, 'Tofe; Smith, Patrick (25 March 2021). "Nigeria: Who's who in Tinubu's network: Family, friends, politicians and business allies". Africa Report. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Ewepu, Gabriel (25 October 2019). "CSOs calls on EFCC to investigate Tinubu over alleged money conveyed in bullion vans". Vanguard. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Olu, Tayo (29 July 2020). "Petition Details Alleged Corrupt Activities Of Tinubu Since 1999". The Whistler. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Kperogi, Farooq (29 January 2022). "Clarity On Tinubu's Age And Post-Secondary Education". Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Ufuoma, Vincent (27 June 2022). "Chicago University replies ICIR on Tinubu's controversial certificate". International Centre for Investigative Reporting. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ Amaechi, Ikechukwu. "Tinubu and the certificate scandal that refuses to die". Vanguard. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "Tinubu: What Really Are Afikuyomi's Sins? – THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ Akintade, Adefemola (25 June 2022). "Tokunbo Afikuyomi falsified Tinubu's academic credentials to INEC, says Campaign Headquarters". Peoples Gazette. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "2023: Controversy Trails Tinubu's INEC Filings". Daily Trust. 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ Essien, Hillary (24 June 2022). "I didn't attend primary, secondary schools; my university certificates stolen by unknown soldiers, Tinubu tells INEC". Peoples Gazette. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
- ^ Abidoye, Bisi. "PT State of the Race: Tinubu's "lost" certificates and Wike's message to Atiku". Premium Times. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
- ^ . Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Barnaby Phillips (20 February 1999). "Lagos hopes for change". BBC News. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Clowes, William (22 June 2022). "Graft Allegations Dog Nigeria's Main Presidential Hopefuls". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
- ^ Hundeyin, David (13 July 2022). "Bola Ahmed Tinubu: From Drug Lord To Presidential Candidate". West Africa Weekly. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ Weiss, Michael (27 April 2015). "Nigerian Pres' Svengali Tied to Heroin". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ "Tinubu's house of war". TheCable. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "YORUBA LEADERSHIP: THE CAP AND THE SHOES FIT ASIWAJU BOLA TINUBU". NigeriaWorld. 4 May 2008. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Jide Ajani (10 October 2009). "They labelled me military mole in NADECO for nothing – Bucknor Akerele". Vanguard. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Duro Onabule (14 March 2008). . Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ DURO ADESEKO (20 December 2008). . Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 1 February 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Olusola Balogun (25 October 2009). . Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ "Achievements in the 2000's", LDSPC, retrieved 25 October 2022
- ^ GABRIEL DIKE (3 July 2007). . Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 27 July 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ FEMI BABAFEMI (29 June 2005). . Archived from the original on 31 December 2006. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Olusola Balogun (6 September 2009). . Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Tolu Olarewaju (17 June 2004). "Pains, anguish of Ogunlewe/George Army on Lagos roads". Daily Independent. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
- ^ CHRISTIAN ITA, DENNIS MERNYI (8 July 2007). . Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ OLUSOLA BALOGUN (14 June 2009). . Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 22 June 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ RAZAQ BAMIDELE (13 October 2006). . Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 4 May 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ "Why I didn't pick Tinubu as running mate in 2007, by Atiku". 16 March 2022.
- ^ GOBERT EMERSON Jr., TAIWO AMODU and DURO ADESEKO (11 April 2009). . Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ "Amaechi, 4 other PDP govs, nPDP join APC". Vanguard News. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Update: ACN, ANPP, APGA, CPC merge into new party, APC - Premium Times Nigeria". 7 February 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Buhari wins APC presidential primaries". Vanguard News. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Buhari formally presents Osinbajo as APC presidential running mate | Premium Times Nigeria". 17 December 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Muhammadu Buhari's Presidential Victory in Nigeria". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Tinubu meets Buhari in Aso Rock, speaks on 2023 presidential ambition". www.msn.com. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: APC Leader, Bola Tinubu's Presidential Ambition Crumbles, Unable To Visit Aso Villa As President Buhari Recognises Victor Giadom As Party's Acting National Chairman". Sahara Reporters. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ Atoyebi, Olufemi (16 January 2022). "Tinubu: Why I believe I'll win presidency in 2023". thecable.ng. news. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ "BREAKING: Barely Three Weeks After Declaring Interest In 2023 Presidency, Tinubu Travels Out for Medicals". Sahara Reporters. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ Saawua, Terzungwe (15 May 2022). "2023 Presidency: Why APC Should Compensate Tinubu – Badara". dailytrust.com. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ Essein, Hillary (8 June 2022). "BREAKING: Bola Tinubu, Jagaban of Borgu, clinches APC presidential ticket". Peoples Gazette. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ^ "BREAKING: INEC declares Tinubu winner of presidential election". March 2023.
- ^ "BREAKING: I'll be your servant, Tinubu promises Nigerians". March 2023.
- ^ "INEC declares Bola Tinubu winner of 2023 presidential election". March 2023.
- ^ Ise-Oluwa Ige (25 April 2007). "FG Drags Tinubu to Conduct Tribunal". Vanguard. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Atika Balal (11 September 2009). "Vmobile Sale - Ibori, Tinubu, Attah Cleared of Money Laundering". Daily Trust. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ REMI ADEFULU (30 March 2009). . Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ . The Sun Publishing. 16 September 2009. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Ise-Oluwa Ige (10 September 2009). "FG, UK at loggerheads over Tinubu, Ibori, Attah". Vanguard. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ "Tinubu: The Flawed Progressive". THISDAYLIVE. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ . 11 August 2015. Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Fashola, Tinubu Split Over 2011". Daily Champion. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ "Nigeria's poster boy for good governance caught up in corruption allegations". African Arguments. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Ambode vs. Tinubu". Ambode vs. Tinubu. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Former Lagos governor Ambode feels the wrath of the kingmaker". The Africa Report.com. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Bullion vans: I can keep money anywhere I want, says Tinubu". Punch Newspapers. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ a b "Would-be successors to the ailing Nigerian president are circling". The Economist. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- ^ "Senator Oluremi Tinubu: The Change that was Expected is not the Change that is being Experienced Now - BellaNaija". www.bellanaija.com. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ "My son, Jide died of cardiac arrest - Bola Tinubu - Vanguard News". Vanguard News. 3 November 2017.