₦airaland Forum

janedonez:
Don't blame INEC, blame the political class, they have been in sincere and don't want any thing right to be done because it won't benefit them.

True, but politicians playing dirty is more or less expected. The onus is on INEC to protect the integrity of elections by punishing the insincere politicians

NIGERIA ELECTIONS: INEC, AN INCOMPETENT UMPIRE

For a body whose primary responsibility is to conduct free and fair elections in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has consistently been underwhelming in delivering on its mandate. From its inception in 1998, an ever burgeoning budget has not yielded commensurate improvements in its ability to conduct credible elections that participants and observers can collectively accept as being free and fair.

Several issues come to fore when considering areas that INEC must improve on in its operations, which continues to impact negatively on voter participation, with voter apathy hitting an all-time low of 34.75% in the 2019 general elections.

EVER RISING COST OF ELECTIONS

When in 1998 the Nigerian electoral umpire gained more autonomy from its days as National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), it conducted the 1999 general elections with a budget of N1.5 billion. While the cumulative cost of all previous general elections from 1999 to 2015 is about N274.8 billion, the cost of the 2019 elections alone was N236.7. In fact, it is of note that only on one occasion was there a drop in INEC’s budget from one general election cycle to the next, and that was between 2010 (N111b) and 2014 (N87.8b). A humongous sum of N305 billion has already been earmarked for the forthcoming 2023 elections.

Although INEC has attempted to justify this meteoric rise in election cost on inflation and purchase of technologies meant to improve on the sanctity of the people’s votes, Nigerians have not witnessed any significant improvement in the conduct of elections, but rather seem to be losing more faith in the electoral process.

UNBRIDLED CAMPAIGN SPENDING

As INEC continues to increase its spending, so do our politicians who seem to go into any election cycle with a limitless war chest. In 2015, it was alleged that the total cost incurred by INEC and the different political players came down to a whopping N1 trillion. For context, that was about 20% of the federal government’s budget for the same year.

Yet, INEC, like our law enforcement agencies, remain either toothless or in cahoots with politicians who continue to overshoot the campaign spending limit of N1 billion by immorally unjustifiable amounts.

LITANY OF UNRELIABLE TECHNOLOGIES

The undignifying sight of an incumbent’s inability to have his Personal Voter’s Card (PVC) details captured in the crucial and keenly contested 2015 presidential election was a very poignant encapsulation of INEC’s failures as an election umpire. Going to his polling unit, seeking a second term, Goodluck Jonathan, like millions of Nigerians, had been assured of the integrity and functionality of the Smart Card Readers which were to be used for voter accreditation. But that was not to be.

Again, just last month, after countless assurances, the high expectations that the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu led-INEC had heaped on its present Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) had met serious challenges during the Abuja council polls, with the election boss promising to have it resolved before subsequent elections.

Sadly for INEC, it has always been a case of expensive but unreliable technologies and unfulfilled promises. Yet, millions of Nigerians remain optimistic that 2023 will be different. It is a shame that for twenty-three years, INEC has not been able to adopt and adapt a voting system from those available in other climes that would not require an overhaul every four to eight years.

UNCHECKED MALAISE OF UNDERAGE VOTING

Another area INEC has repeatedly failed to improve on is the elimination of underage voting. Every general election, it has become the norm to see pictures and videos of voters in their early teens flooding electronic and digital media. This year, addressing Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in its first quarterly meeting, the INEC chairman disclosed that the body was undertaking a comprehensive cleanup of its register and that records of underage voters would be expunged. We hope this does not come down to mere rhetoric.

ELECTORAL OFFENDERS GOING SCOT FREE

For as long as our laws remain lax and there is hardly any deterrent for offenders, we will continue to grapple with increasing cases of people flouting electoral laws before and during elections. From the politicians, to the voters, law enforcement officers or INEC officials, we have a well-oiled circle of people having a field day perpetrating election offences.

As in other issues, INEC has hinged their inability to punish election malfeasance on the paucity of funds to institute legal action against the hundreds or thousands of Nigerians who continue to shortchange the democratic process. A serious-minded umpire would be less impulsive in offering excuses but rather seek a means of assuring the polity that such offences will not go unpunished, even if it means successfully prosecuting just a fraction of reported cases as a deterrent.

VOTER INDUCEMENT AND VOTE BUYING

As deplorable as the act of vote buying and voter inducement is, the government of the day has been accused of legitimizing it. Besides that fact that recent elections have witnessed party agents ostensibly distributing cash gifts to voters in polling units, even under the glare of election and law enforcement agents, the APC has now grown a penchant for executing mass empowerment schemes days or weeks before elections. Most notorious of this is the ‘TraderMoni’ scheme which sees the government doling out public funds to artisans and petty traders, and collecting their biodata in a bid to monitor how they eventually cast their votes on election day.

It is no longer just a case of stomach infrastructure or ‘Ghana must go’, now it’s about bullion vans and ‘TraderMoni’; such a pitiable trajectory.

CONCLUSION

It must be stated that all the ills of our electioneering system do not lie at the feet of INEC as the government as well as politicians are all key stakeholders in this inefficiently run mechanism. In the furtherance of the cause of a thriving democracy in Nigeria, Nigerians have a right to credible, free and fair elections.

When the referee blows the whistle for a football match to commence, players, club officials, fans and viewers expect a fair deal on the pitch; erring players are warned and recalcitrant players sanctioned; both teams field an equal number of players, and the goal post is never adjusted during the 90 minutes (and some) that the game lasts. Granted, the dynamics of an election, especially in a very complex society like Nigeria differ on a much larger scale, there are expectations that must be met, and the competence of the election umpire is one that is non-negotiable.

Two types of folks in Jagaban's camp
1. Those working for past favours
2. Those who don't want to miss out on his bullion van sharing formula

Dokpesi's just playing his role as a media strategist, mudslinging is part of the deal for him

2023 Presidential Election: The Zoning Conundrum

The politics of zoning is currently one of Nigeria's most contentious problems, and it will almost certainly have serious ramifications for the fate of political parties at next year’s 2023 presidential poll.

It is pertinent now more than ever to discuss the principle of zoning as the Nigerian polity has never been this divided with several secessionist agitations, insecurity due to terrorism, and unprecedented economic hardship.

The political party that develops the most effective zoning policy in the upcoming Nigerian presidential elections is expected to win at the end of the current strategic planning for the 2023 general election. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are the likely frontrunners to provide the next president of the federal republic, and members of the major political parties are already jostling for key positions, sparking debate about the zoning issue.

For more context, consider that two decades ago, zoning was a relatively uncomplicated issue, and the PDP was the main ruling party, with former Presidents Obasanjo, Yar'Adua, and then Jonathan in power. As a result, if the president is from the South, the party chairman is from the North, and vice versa. However, with the advent of the APC with its northern bent, the almighty PDP was brought down to earth from its powerful heights over 16 years, and the zoning of the 2023 presidential election has become a problem, particularly for the PDP, which has been languishing in opposition and desperately needs federal power.

Presently, the APC appears to be handling the politics of zoning for the 2023 Presidential election much better than the PDP. With the exception of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, the other APC members who have publicly expressed interest in the presidential race are from the South: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, and – by proxy – Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti. So far, the APC appears to be leaning south, with most of its northern members more interested in vying for the party's chairmanship.

The PDP is currently in a quandary over how to position itself to win in 2023. Despite the APC's widely perceived poor performance in central government, a number of PDP senators and House of Representatives members are defecting to the APC. The PDP had hoped that the APC would announce their zoning plans first, allowing it to confirm its strategy, but the ruling party appears to be very adept at tossing the opposition around.

Unlike the APC, the PDP has a long list of northern presidential candidates, including Atiku Abubakar, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Bala Muhammad, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. If the PDP implements goes ahead with a no-zoning policy, these northern aspirants will face, for the time being, opposition from the South in the likes of Peter Obi, Ayo Fayose, Nyesom Wike, Udom Emmanuel, Anyim Pius Anyim, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, and Dele Momodu.

Its decisions around the zoning policy are bound to exacerbate the party's schism, with serious consequences in the 2023 elections. The PDP suffered a crushing defeat and imploded in 2014/2015, owing largely to this same division. The explanation usually given by PDP leaders is that consultations are still ongoing, and that many of the aspirants are also engaged in consultations. Whatever the case may be, the uncertainty within the party only serves to give other political parties an advantage at different levels.

Frigga13:
Atiku Saraki Kwankwanso,

Make your choice ..

Power returns North.

If wishes were horses

The gods have spoken

RACE TO 2023 PRESIDENCY: ATIKU ABUBAKAR

Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar has been referred to in some quarters as a serial contestant for Nigeria’s most coveted political seat. He has unsuccessfully vied for the presidency five times, but has only made it to the ballot twice, emerging as the first runner-up in the 2019 presidential election, with a sizeable 41.2% of the total accredited votes.

Hate him or love him, he is by no means a pushover. Two salient narratives working against him this time around are his age and the issue of zoning. So would this be ‘sixth time lucky’?

Although he is in the camp of those who are still weighing political permutations and are yet to openly join the contest, we decided to give you our “10 Must Knows” about him. Enjoy.

1. Born on 25th November, 1946, (Age 75), Atiku Abubakar was born in Jada, (formerly of British Cameroons territory), Adamawa State.

2. After two diploma degrees in Nigeria, in 2021, he went on to bag a Master’s degree in International Relations at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, U.K.

3. He worked with the Nigeria Customs Service for twenty years (1969 – 1989) rising to the position of deputy director before retiring at an early age into private business and politics.

4. Atiku’s business interests span across real estate, education, manufacturing, agriculture and transportation. While still a customs officer, he partnered an Italian businessman to establish a logistics company, Nigeria Container Services (NICOTES), which would later be rebranded as INTELS, an oil servicing business operating both locally and internationally, from which he amassed immense wealth.

5. From the early 80s, Atiku had featured prominently in mainstream politics, before finally winning the Adamawa guber election in 1998. As fate goes, he was never sworn in because he had to join forces with Olusegun Obasanjo, as running mate, to contest the 1999 presidential election, which they won.

6. His eight-year vice-presidency under Obasanjo was harmonious until the twilight of their tenure, as he became embroiled in a public fallout with his principal over the latter’s plans to impose a third term on Nigerians.

7. It is alleged that in 2008, Atiku and his (then) fourth wife, Jennifer were implicated by the U.S. government in a case of fraudulent movement of funds amounting to US$40 million over a period of eight years through offshore accounts. Instead of accepting summons to appear in court, they bailed out of the U.S., and were eventually denied visas. To debunk this allegation, in 2019, Atiku embarked on a trip to the U.S. and has consistently labelled them as recycled lies as he has never been charged by the U.S. government.

8. In 2017, he was decorated with the chieftaincy title, Waziri of Adamawa, and his son conferred with his previous title of Turaki.

9. With a net worth of about $1.8 billion, he easily features on the list of Nigeria’s wealthiest politicians.

10. He is a Muslim and has somehow managed not to exceed the statutory four wives his beliefs permit. The best word which we can use to describe Atiku’s marital status is ‘detribalized’. His wives (present and former) are well spread geo-politically with a Moroccan also spotlighting the list; all sharing 29 children with him.

QUOTE
“It is my desire to run for the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not because I have a bag full of promises but because I am prepared to lead.”
- Atiku Abubakar

RACE TO 2023 PRESIDENCY: ROTIMI CHIBUIKE AMAECHI

When President Muhammadu Buhari was asked in a Channels TV interview who his preferred candidate for the 2023 presidential election was, his response caught the interest of most Nigerians. “I won’t tell you my favourite for 2023, he may be eliminated if I mention. I better keep it secret,” the president responded with a smile.

With the pomp and pageantry that surrounded the turbaning of the transportation minister, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi last week, in the home town of Mr. President, many wonder if the lid has finally been blown off Buhari’s preferred candidate for the forthcoming election.

Now that we have Amaechi in the conversation, supposedly as an anointed candidate of the president, let us treat you to “10 Must Knows” that we have compiled about the “Dan-Amanar of Daura.”

1. Rotimi Amaechi was born on 27th May, 1965 (Age-56) and hails from Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

2. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree (Honours) in English Studies and Literature from the University of Port Harcourt in 1987.

3. He had a relatively short stint in the private sector, between 1988 and 1992, working for Pamo Clinics and Hospitals Ltd., owned by Peter Odili; also as director of West Africa Glass Industry and Risonpalm Nigeria Ltd.

4. In 1992, he was appointed as a special assistant to the Rivers State deputy governor. After enjoying eight years as elected Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly (1999 – 2007), Amaechi ran for governor under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and emerged victorious, succeeding his former boss. He was executive governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015.

5. In 2013, he led a powerful bloc of sitting PDP governors who expressed dissatisfaction at the party’s handling of affairs and created a G-7 faction, which eventually defected to merge with opposing forces to form the All Progressives Congress (APC), becoming the director general for the campaign of their presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.

6. Rotimi Amaechi has been serving as Minister of Transportation under Buhari from 2015. He has taken on several notable projects like the revamp of the railway sector and the Lekki Deep Seaport project, to be completed in 2023 and to create an estimated 170,000 new jobs.

7. One of the blights on Amaechi’s tenure as governor was the failed Rivers monorail project, which gulped over N33 billion. He also admitted to being defrauded of $39.2 million which the state paid for Karibi White Hospital that never saw the light of day.

8. Stemming from his clash with the PDP as governor, Ameachi has been at loggerheads with his successor, Gov. Wike of Rivers State, who accused him of diverting state funds to finance Buhari’s election and misappropriating the sum of $306 million proceeds from the sale of state-owned oil and gas assets; an accusation he has persistently denied.

9. He is one of the country’s richest politicians with an alleged net worth of $780 million.

10. He is a Catholic Knight, of the order of St. John, and is happily married with 3 sons.

QUOTE:
“With love and unity, I see greatness ahead; a great, prosperous Nigeria. Let us join hands to build this Nigeria.”
- Rotimi Amaechi

I see a lot of what is going on with Zouma and his brother as misplaced emotions. A cat is a cat and not human. The way you feed, play with or show love to a cat is different from how you'd treat a human. I'm really sure Zouma loves his pet cat and the cat loves him back, and is well pampered and taken care of. Has anyone asked if the cat was hurt by Zouma's actions, or does anyone think cattie would be happy with the vilification Zouma or his brother is receiving?

Coming from a beneficiary of sectarian politics

RACE TO 2023 PRESIDENCY: OLUBUKOLA ABUBAKAR SARAKI

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has shunned calls for the zoning of the PDP’s Presidential ticket to the South. He announced his interest to contest the 2023 presidency on January 26th, 2022.

His declaration has drawn mixed reactions from his supporters; some of whom have described him as a detribalized Nigerian, and some party members who would prefer he withdrew on the basis of geopolitical zoning.

In continuation of our “10 Must Knows” series, let us share some highlights on the person of Olubukola Abubakar Saraki.

1. Saraki was born in London, United Kingdom, on 19th December, 1962.

2. He obtained a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.) from London Hospital Medical College of University of London in 1987.

3. Prior to entering politics, Saraki worked as a medical officer at Rush Green Hospital in London. He returned to Nigeria in 1990, working for Societe Generale Bank Ltd., and advancing to the role of executive director.

4. By 2000, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Saraki as Special Assistant to the President on Budget, and while in that position, he introduced the Fiscal Responsibility Bill. Subsequently, he served on the Economic Policy Co-ordination committee.

5. In 2003, he defeated the incumbent to become governor of Kwara State, and was reelected in 2007.

6. He succeeded his sister as senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in 2011, emerging as senate president after another victory at the 2015 general elections. During his tenure, the Senate passed 293 bills and cleared 138 public petitions, outnumbering all previous Senates in Nigeria's history.

7. He has had several brushes with law enforcement agencies but has mostly come out unscathed. A seemingly unresolved case is one allegedly reported by the EFCC on March 10, 2017, where his aides were accused of laundering about N3.5 billion of Paris Club refund.

8. In 2018, he was bestowed a chieftaincy title last held by his father - ‘Waziri’ of Ilorin by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu-Gambari. He also holds the title of the Turaki of the Fulani Emirate of Ilorin.

9. Saraki is a football fan and has an eponymous club named Abubakar Bukola Saraki Football Club (ABS FC).

10. He is happily married to Toyin Saraki, and blessed with four children.

QOUTE:

“Celebrating our Democracy Day is a reminder that a government for, of, and by the people, is, and must be Nigeria’s only recourse.”

- Bukola Saraki

Karlovich:
#Say no to owomida
#Say no to the cocaine baron
#Say no Oluwole credentials/age
#Say no to Iragbiji wickedness
Nigerians must reject another UK medical tourist.

9ja moved from Ghana must go to stomach infrastructure and then bullion van politics. What will Tinubu do if given access to CBN vault?

IS TINUBU THE MOST SALABLE CANDIDATE FOR 2023 PRESIDENCY?

Speaking at the formal inauguration of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) Movement Working Committees, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, described Tinubu as the most competent and salable choice for the presidency in 2023.

This is not unexpected, nor is it a unique strategy: When Buhari ran for and won the presidency in 2015, he was presented to Nigerians as a messiah. Chants of “Sai Baba!” filled the air as his apologists buoyed themselves to anticipated triumph.

It has been over 2,500 days since Buhari took his first oath of office; many Nigerians now know he is far from being a messiah, and a good number of his strongest campaigners have denounced him. Had they been on the ball, the ex-military dictator’s capacity, or the lack thereof, to pilot the affairs of the most populous black nation in the world would not have taken them aback.

With Buhari’s second term coming to an end, another group of politicians are being heralded as the country's saviours come 2023. The politicians include some who have openly indicated interest to contest the presidential election, and others whose supporters have already thrown them into the race, even if they are yet to personally express such intent.

We will now attempt to match Tinubu against three other presidential aspirants or probables to discover how much truth Sanwo Olu's claim holds.

Physical Capacity

Of the four contestants under our political microscope, Atiku Abubakar is the oldest, being 75 years. Tinubu himself comes in at (a much contested) 69, while Kingsley Moghalu and Aminu Tambuwal are aged 58 and 56 years respectively. That gives us one septuagenarian, one sexagenarian with recent medical challenges, and two others who appear healthier and still have over a decade to hit ‘three score and ten years’.

Our Verdict (/10 points): Atiku – 5.0; Moghalu – 7.0; Tambuwal – 7.0; Tinubu – 5.0

Intellectual Capacity

A fair gauge of each individual’s intelligence would be their educational qualification, except of course, in the absence of that, there is an outstanding innovation that he/she may be credited with. Hopefully, this time, the controversy would not be about secondary school certificates as all four persons have advanced themselves beyond possessing bachelor’s degree, with Moghalu having taught as professor at Tuft University, U.S.

Our Verdict (/10 points): Atiku – 6.0; Moghalu – 7.0; Tambuwal – 6.0; Tinubu – 6.0

Moral Capacity

Our assessment of each aspirant would not be complete without judging them by their guiding morals, or what may be perceivable by the public. As our local parlance goes, most of our politicians and corruption are ‘five and six’. That established, it must be said that all persons have acted in different capacities in the public service and have not been convicted of any known charge(s), within or without the shores of the country. While controversies abound around Atiku and Tinubu with regards to allegations of corruption, Tambuwal seems to be the politician that is least tainted. But again, Moghalu is the one that stands out the most, as he has not been politically compromised.

Our Verdict (/10 points): Atiku – 5.0; Moghalu – 7.0; Tambuwal – 6.0; Tinubu – 5.0

Political Capacity

The last parameter under consideration is political capacity. The reality of the political terrain in Nigeria often necessitates voters to choose between two supposedly undesirable candidates, with the best of the lot totally lacking the means or structure to muster significant political capital. Of our four contestants, only two featured in the last Nigerian presidential election, held on 23 February 2019. They are Atiku and Moghalu, polling 41% and 0.08% respectively. The other two, Tambuwal and Tinubu are both political heavyweights in their regions; both elected two-term governors; the former a past speaker of the House of Representatives and the latter, current national leader of the ruling party. What a battle!

Our Verdict (/10 points): Atiku – 7.0; Moghalu – 2.0; Tambuwal – 6.0; Tinubu – 6.0

Disclaimer: This verdict is neither a prediction nor a prophecy! Over 80 candidates made it to the ballot during the 2019 presidential election and this assessment covers just four persons. Therefore, though our analysis is subjective, it is meant to encourage the voting population to be more critical and less sentimental in making the final choice at the poll. Also, a last parameter that may just be a clincher has been discussed in-house, but the verdict remains inconclusive! So watch this space.

Final Verdict (/40 points)

1. Tambuwal – 25.0
2. Atiku – 23.0
3. Moghalu – 23.0
4. Tinubu – 22.0

In conclusion, while we cannot say who will win the election, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is definitely not the most salable candidate in the 2023 presidential poll. That established, we must not undermine the power of the bullion van.

RACE TO 2023 PRESIDENCY: KINGSLEY MOGHALU

Moghalu is one the early contenders for the Nigerian 2023 presidential election. While many were still observing the political terrain to weigh their chances, like a man set in his vision, Moghalu wasted little or no time to toss his hat into the ring.

So we decided to shed some light on this candidate, whose "Build, Innovate and Grow" (BIG) manifesto had a strong appeal among the youths in the 2019 elections. Below are our “10 Must Knows” about Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu:

I. Born on May 7, 1963 (Age 58), he hails from Nnewi, Anambra State.

II. Graduated as lawyer from the University of Nigeria in 1986, proceeding to the Nigerian Law School to become a barrister at law.

III. Furthered his studies abroad at Tuft University in the United States where he earned several awards, subsequently teaching as Professor of Practice in International Business and Public Policy.

IV. Moghalu is a renowned Nigerian political economist. He was appointed as deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2009, under the late Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration.

V. Has worked with the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in several capacities. He is the founder of Sogato Strategies LLC, and president of the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation (IGET).

VI. He once had a rift with his ex-boss, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the CBN governor, over the latter’s handling of the controversy around alleged missing funds under the Goodluck Jonathan-led government. Both have since reconciled.

VII. For the 2019 election, he received strong endorsements from Wole Soyinka, Nigerian born Nobel Laureate; Sanusi, then Emir of Kano, and then Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.

VIII. Moghalu contested the 2019 presidential election under Young Progressive Party (YPP) and managed to garner 21,886 (0.08%) votes.

IX. On June 1, 2021, he declared his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election under the Action Democratic Congress (ADC).

X. He is a Christian, and is happily married with 4 children.

QUOTE:
“The future will not be shaped by recycled politicians but by new hands; as I am ready.”

- Kingsley Moghalu

RACE TO 2023 PRESIDENCY: BOLA AHMED TINUBU

On Monday, January 10th, 2022, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a highly anticipated move, informed reporters of his decision to run for the presidency in the forthcoming 2023 general elections. The political behemoth revealed this after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari. His declaration has since elicited different reactions from Nigerians across the socio-political space.

So who is Bola Ahmed Tinubu? Below are “10 Must Knows” about the one popularly known as the Jagaban:

1. Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a Muslim and was born on 29th March, 1952.

2. He graduated top of his class, with B.Sc in Accounting from Chicago State University in 1979.

3. Before his foray into politics, he had worked for companies like American Arthur Andersen, Deloitte, Haskins & Sells, GTE Services Corporation and Mobil Oil Nigeria.

4. An elected senator in the short lived Nigerian Third Republic in 1993, Tinubu contributed to the establishment of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) in 1994; a coalition of Nigerian democrats who pressured the then military government to reinstate the June 12, 1993 election results and restore democracy.

5. He was elected as executive governor of Lagos State from 1999 – 2007.

6. In 2014, Tinubu founded the Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) Foundation, a non-governmental organisation focused on “breaking the shackles of poverty”. The organisation has made several donations to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, orphanages, widows, etc.

7. He is currently a national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, having played a major role in successfully negotiating the merger of three of Nigeria’s leading opposition parties in 2013, successfully ousting the then ruling party in the 2015 presidential election.

8. In April 2007, Tinubu was brought before the Code of Conduct Bureau for trial over the alleged illegal operation of 16 separate foreign accounts. However, he was cleared of all charges by the EFCC in 2009.

9. Groups have petitioned the EFCC to investigate him after bullion vans were seen driving into his residence a day before the 2019 presidential election with a large crowd of supporters waiting outside, to which he retorted; “I can keep money anywhere I want.”

10. Tinubu holds both the chieftaincies of the Asiwaju of Lagos and the Jagaban of Borgu Kingdom in Niger State, Nigeria. He is happily married to Senator Oluremi Tinubu, with children.

QUOTE:

Education is the greatest weapon against poverty; we cannot innovate without education. We need a leader that is a thinker and a doer.

- Bola Tinubu

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Folks didnt know each other well enough before exchanging vows