The Political Journey of Bola Tinubu as President-Elect in Nigeria

Reports by Dim Oba – In this report, we summaries the political journey of the Senator Bola Tinubu as the president-elect in Nigeria. Former Lagos state governor, Senator Bola Tinubu is Nigeria’s president elect after defeating 17 other presidential candidates.

Tinubu entered Nigeria’s political scene in 1992 joining the default Social Democratic Party, SDP as a member and eventually securing a seat as a senator representing Lagos west constituency in Nigeria’s short lived third republic in 1993.

Following the annulment of the June 12 elections in 1993, Senator Tinubu joined many who fought for the restoration of the mandate of the late Mushood Abiola as president forming the pro-democratic group the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO.

When those efforts failed and General Sani Abacha came into power senator Tinubu went into exile in 1994. Returning in 1998 after General Sani Abacha died, in 1999 he was sworn in as the governor of Lagos state on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy, AD.

He served for eight years; some achievements recorded in those eight years include instituting reforms that greatly improved the welfare of judicial officers, pioneering the bus rapid transit system, creating and rehabilitating a massive road infrastructure network still in existence today and rehabilitating and creating several housing projects across Lagos among others.

In February of 2013, Tinubu was among several politicians who merged the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, a faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA and the new PDP a faction of the then ruling People’s Democratic Party into the All Progressive Congress, APC.

Bola Tinubu has had his share of scandals after leaving office in 2007, he was brought before Nigeria’s code of conduct bureau accused of operating over 16 foreign accounts.

A bullion van was cited entering his Bodilyon residence in Ikoyi during the 2019 general elections. Raising concerns that he planned to rig the exercise. He has carried the toga of the godfather of Lagos since his years as governor. A reference to his reputation as king maker in the nation’s political circle especially in the south western part of the country.

Nonetheless after winning the APC primaries in 2022 senator Tinubu forged on to the grueling campaign phase culminating in the presidential elections of February 25th, which has produced him as president-elect.

Bola Tinubu presidency will be hinged on his 8 point agenda focusing on leadership, technology, infrastructure, homegrown business, education and true federalism in a country largely divided and bogged down by security and economic challenges.