2023: Tinubu’s candidature- An amalgadon of Nigerian political landscape 

 

 

By IBRAHIM QUADRI

 

The Nigerian political landscape has been electrified since the beginning of the year. Intense lobbying, consultations, intrigues, tantrums, jeers, religious and ethnic jingoisms have pervaded the country- all aims at who take the shot in the coming February 2023 presidential elections.

 

It is noteworthy to however state that out the major candidates which include Dr Peter Obi of Labour Party, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of People’s Democratic Party, PDP and the  National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, none had been so much villified like Tinubu.

 

The former Lagos Governor had in January made it clear during an interview with State House correspondents in Abuja that he would be contesting the 2023 presidency. Since this declaration, Tinubu has ignited political debates and permutations. He has been at the centre of the storms – his traducers have raised a number factors, in an attempt to pull him down. Yet, he has remained the talk of the town, whose step, utterance and even silence determine the agenda setting of Nigeria political dalliance or otherwise.

 

Aside raising questions on his health status, source of wealth among others, the latest has to do with his background as regard his primary and secondary school certificates. the APC presidential candidate has weathered the storms and was able to wriggle himself out of political gang up even in his own political party.

 

Amidst these controversies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Friday, 1st July, published the particulars of candidates for the 2023 general elections.

 

The publication has been followed by animated discussions among Nigerians on social media on the academic credentials of some of the presidential candidates. In the front burner of the discussions are questions around why the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, provided no information on his primary and secondary education.

 

Stating his occupation as “POLITICIAN,” the 70 years old APC National Leader claimed he obtained a B.Sc degree in Business and Administration from Chicago State University on June 22, 1979 before participating in the compulsory national youth service from November 12, 1982.

 

Tinubu swore to an affidavit that his certificates are missing, stating “I went on self-exile from October 1994 to October 1998. When I returned I discovered that all my property, including all the documents relating to my qualifications and my certificates in respect of paragraph three above, were looted by unknown persons.

 

“My house was a target of series of searches by various security agents from the time the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was forced to adjourn following the military takeover of government of 17th November 1993,” the two-term former governor of Lagos State claimed in the court affidavit.

 

Similar concerns were raised over his background when he contested for governor in 1999 and 2003. The late human rights lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi filed a suit asking the courts to compel the police to prosecute Mr Tinubu for perjury and forgery after a petition accused him of those offences in his filings with INEC in 1999.

 

After the Supreme Court dismissed the suit on the ground that Mr Tinubu had immunity as governor against being prosecuted in court, the Lagos State House of Assembly investigated the matter and absolved Mr Tinubu of the charge of gross misconduct.

 

Mr Tinubu is considered by many political commentators as the candidate to beat in the 2023 presidential race, the reason for the intense public attention on his candidature.

 

Born on 29 March 1952, Tinubu has undergone the thicks and turns of events in his sojourn. An accountant turned politician whose relevance since 1999 when democracy was restored in Nigeria, continued to reverberate across the length and breadth of the country.

 

Tinubu was born in Lagos, Nigeria to the illustrious Tinubu Family of Lagos State. He attended Richard Daley College, Chicago Illinois, where he earned himself a place in the honors list of the College. He subsequently proceeded to the Chicago State University, Illinois where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Accounting and Management).

 

During his undergraduate years, he was honored with the Outstanding Student’s Award, The University Scholar’s Award and the Certificate of Merit in Accounting and Finance.

 

On his arrival in the U.S. in 1975 and with the support of an ever-adoring mother, this courageous youth, faced with an unflinching zeal to succeed, took on such menial jobs as dishwashing, night-guard and cab-driving to see himself through the initial difficulties of school at the Richard Daley College, Chicago, Illinois.

 

The brilliance of this young Nigerian showed in his ability to make the honours’ list of Richard Daley College. He subsequently transferred to the Chicago State University, Illinois, graduating with honours in 1979 and earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (Accounting and Management). During his first year in Chicago State University, young Bola was given the rare privilege to partly teach other students of his Faculty remedial tutorial classes. Most of his colleagues and contemporaries at the university attributed their improved grades to his tutorial lectures.

 

Throughout his undergraduate years, young Bola was on the Dean’s List and was honoured with the Outstanding Student’s Award, the University Scholar’s Award and the Certificate of Merit in Accounting and Finance. He was also awarded the prestigious Sumna cum laude for scoring 3.54 out of possible 4.0 GP.

 

With his successful academic profile, young Bola contested and won his first political election as the President of the Accounting Society of the institution in his final year at the University.

 

Upon graduation with honours and several awards, Bola Tinubu cut his professional teeth at the American-based Arthur Anderson, Deloitte Haskins and Sells (now called Deloitte Haskins and Touche) and GTE Service Corporation – the largest Communication and Utility Company in the United States of America.

 

Meanwhile, at Deloitte Haskins and Sells, the young and professional Bola broadened his experience by participating in the auditing and management consultancy services of General Motors, First National Bank of Chicago, Procter and Gamble, International Harvester, GEC and other Fortune 500 firms.

 

He returned to Nigeria in the mid-1980s and continued working in financial management before entering politics as a successful Lagos West senatorial candidate in 1992 under the banner of the Social Democratic Party. After dictator Sani Abacha dissolved the Senate in 1993, Tinubu become an activist campaigning for the return of democracy as a part of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) 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.

 

On his return to Nigeria and with his international experience in Financial Management, young Bola joined Mobil Producing Nigeria as a Senior Auditor before he retired as the company’s Treasurer.

 

As pragmatic, charitable, grassroots’ person, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu saw communal service as a veritable tool for social development. He never hesitated to serve his community spearheading several financial contributions and fund-raising for community development programmes in Lagos State. He leads Primrose Group, a political action organization pushing for fundamental changes in the politics of Lagos State.

 

In the first post-transition Lagos State gubernatorial election, Tinubu won by a wide margin as a member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) over the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)’s Dapo Sarumi and the All People’s Party (APP)’s Nosirudeen Kekere-Ekun. Four years later, he won re-election to a second term over the PDP’s Funsho Williams by a reduced margin.

 

Tinubu’s two terms were marked by attempts at modernizing the city of Lagos and his feuds with the PDP-controlled federal government. After leaving office in 2007, Tinubu retained his status as one of Nigeria’s most influential politicians as his allies often filled high offices throughout the southwest and he played a key role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress in 2013.

 

When he assumed office in May 1999, Tinubu promised 10,000 housing units for the poor with little achieved. During the eight-year period of his 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. He also initiated new road construction, required to meet the needs of the fast-growing population of the state.

 

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. 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. 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.

 

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. Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos State Governor ended on 29 May 2007.

 

Today, aside being generous to a fault, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the extraordinary destiny helper, a ready buffer in needy times, and indeed the custodian of many political talents who are all leaders in their respective fields and endeavours.

 

Beneficiaries of Tinubu’s political hegemony include the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) who is also a presidential hopeful in the APC, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and  ministers of Works and Housing and Interior, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Rauf Aregbesola respectively, Fashola was the Chief of Staff to Tinubu between 1999 to 2007. Fashola ventually emerged as the successor to the strongman of Lagos politics and thereafter served two terms in office.

 

Notwithstanding the intigues and backstabbing aimed at pulling him down, Tinubu has not just become a refence point but a man of the moment whose clout determines sense of political direction the country navigates. His candidature is indeed, an intimidating choice unravelling an amalgadon come 2023 general elections.