Nigeria’s incoming President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is someone that is well known in the political scene of Nigeria.
He has been applauded for being the brain behind the reshaping and beauty of Nigeria’s commercial hub; Lagos State.
Bola Tinubu, who was born on March 29, 1952, is reputed to have arguably achieved more in politics than the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
According to a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, Tinubu is a ‘Pillar in Yoruba land and Nigeria” and his name would never be forgotten in the history of Nigeria, especially in its political history.
This piece of writing will focus on some facts about the incoming President of Nigeria.
1. Place of Birth
Tinubu is known to have been birthed in Osun State, Southwest Nigeria. Even though he has become more famed for his influence on Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos State and at a time its governor. He is a Muslim and belongs to the Yoruba ethnic group.
2. He exceeded the political record of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo
When the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was serving as Premier of the Western Region in the late 1950s, he gave the Yoruba race a life through his free education programme. But Tinubu surpasses that because, he became the first Yoruba politician, whose party while in the opposition defeated a ruling party in a presidential election, thereby controlling the central government.
Now, he is seen as the most prominent Yoruba person that has paid his dues and is very knowledgeable about the politics of Nigeria.
3. He was a Governor in Lagos State for two tenures
Bola Tinubu was elected as the third democratic Governor of Lagos State.
He contested under the umbrella of the Alliance for Democracy, AD and served from 1999 to 2007.
As a two-term Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu was able to raise the State’s internally generated income (IGR) from millions to billions of naira.
During his 8 years in government, Tinubu initiated new road constructions, required to meet the needs of the fast-growing population of the state.
4. He Left Nigeria at Some Point
Due to numerous assassinations attempts in his life, in 1994, Tinubu left Nigeria. After leaving into exile, he joined the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) alongside other opponents of the Abacha dictatorship.
He came back to Nigeria in 1998 after the death of Sani Abacha.
5. He is a Godfather
Several politicians have held office while working under the guidance of Bola Tinubu.
Since 2007, after he left the Lagos State government house, he continues to influence who becomes Lagos State, governor.
The last three governors after he left have all admitted publicly to being his prodigies.
These Governors; Babatunde Fashola, Akinwumi Ambode and Babajide Sanwo-Olu have no doubt worked and are still working under the instructions of the astute politician.
Tinubu’s influence has also extended across the southwest region and his political alliances have also seen him make very loyal friends in the northern part of Nigeria.
6. He Became a National Leader of the APC.
After the formation of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2014 before the party won elections in 2015 with outgoing Muhammadu Buhari as it’s presidential flag bearer, Tinubu was the national leader of the Party.
7. Trained Accountant
Tinubu had his education in Ibadan, Oyo State, and St. John’s Primary School in Lagos before he continued to college in Chicago and onwards to the Chicago State University for his undergraduate studies. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1979.
The former governor of Lagos State maintained a 3.54 Grade Point Average, was a custodian of the Distinguished Student’s Award, the University Scholar’s Award, and a Certificate of Excellence in Accounting and Finance, and was consistently on the Dean’s list.
He worked for several accounting firms in the United States of America before he moved to Nigeria in 1983. Bola Tinubu joined Mobil Oil Nigeria, and soon after, he was appointed as and executive in the company.
8. Tinubu has Been in Politics for Over Four Decades
He got involved in politics early in the 1990s. He first joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), where he won the party’s primary nomination to run in the Lagos West Senatorial District election.
He defeated the National Republican Convention NRC candidate in that election to become a Senator.
9. Tinubu Triumphed Over Two Main Rivals to Become President-Elect
The recent presidential election in which he was declared the winner, was a tight one as he contested with two strong contestants.
The two main oppositions were the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).
APC polled 8,805,655 valid votes against the PDP’s 6,984,520 and LP’s 6,098,588. The New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) got 1,496,687 valid votes whiles the fourteen other aspirants together got the remaining 666,298.
Nigeria’s peculiar means of determining the president means that the winner must get at least 25% of votes in two-thirds of the 36 states, which Tinubu was able to achieve.
10. He is a Muslim who Married a Christian
The wife of Tinubu, Oluremi Tinubu is an ordained Christian miniister and they have four children. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, Oluwaseyi Tinubu, Abibat Tinubu, and the late Jide Tinubu.
