As vote counting is still continuing in February 25 election in Nigeria, until now, Bola A Tinubu (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) is leading the race with double the amounts of votes bagged by his rivals.
It may be mentioned here that, during the February 25 election in Nigeria, Biden administration has clearly shown signs of clearly intervening into it and it was largely anticipated that Washington would engineer the election and let their chosen candidate win through the path of rigging the election result, in the same manner US intelligence establishment had played role during 2020 presidential election thus helping Joe Biden in becoming the “winner” despite the fact of serious allegations of electoral flaws. Similarly, back in 2016, the US state machinery has played notorious role in favor of Hillary Clinton, although finally all of such attempts fell flat.
Bola Tinubu, who is known as a political “godfather”, famed for his strategic deftness and clout, has never hidden his ambition to be president of Nigeria.
Last year, when he announced his plans to champion the ruling All Progressives Congress APC party, Tinubu said he would be fulfilling a “lifelong” goal.
Often referred to as “Jagaban,” a chieftain’s title, Tinubu has spent years building his Lagos powerbase into a nationwide network of contacts from Lagos market cooperatives and transport unions to political chieftains.
Bola Ahmed Tinabu is seen as an astute and influential political strategist as well as a tenacious survivor.
He was seen as instrumental in helping bring the APC’s factions together to push Buhari to victory in 2015, ending 16 years in power for the rival PDP.
When the PDP chose their candidate for next year’s race, fellow longtime political stalwart Abubakar, Tinubu was quick to present himself as the man to take him on.
“I look forward to squaring up with him as a worthy opponent in the coming election,” he said.
A Muslim born in Nigeria’s Yoruba-speaking southwest, Tinubu trained as an accountant in the United States and worked for several US companies, including as a treasurer in oil giant ExxonMobil.
He was first a political activist before becoming a senator and then governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007.
During his activist days, he was hounded into exile by military dictator Sani Abacha along with scores of others for campaigning for a return to democratic government in 1999.
The election of Buhari, the first opposition victory in the country, and his 2019 re-election were partly attributed to Tinubu’s political influence.
As APC national leader, Tinubu’s hand is seen in all party decisions and winning his support was vital for any candidate’s ambitions.
In a mark of his staying power, Tinubu kept a tight grip over the governorship of Lagos state from 1999, holding the post until 2007 and then having a hand in choosing his successors since leaving office.
Terming Bola Tinubu as a kingmaker, Olayinka Oyegbile, Journalist and Communications scholar, Trinity University, Lagos in an article wrote: “Widely believed to be the political kingmaker responsible for the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, Tinubu is loved and loathed in almost equal measures.
“His admirers describe him as Nigeria’s number one political strategist, a technocrat, an astute administrator, a talent spotter and nurturer. They give him credit for the recent development of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.
“Critics see a different Tinubu. They point to controversies surrounding his age, parental ancestry, educational background and health. Allegations of corruption have lingered though he has been tried and acquitted”.
Olyayinka Oyegbile further wrote: “In Nigerian politics, identity issues such as family and ancestral lineage often play a key role in how candidates are assessed.
“The late Alhaja Abibat Mogaji, the powerful leader of the association of market traders who had the title of Iyaloja General of Lagos and Nigeria, was widely acknowledged as Tinubu’s mother. She died in 2013, aged 96.
But critics insist that she could not have been his biological mother. They argue that Tinubu has a different identity from what is in the public domain. His family has countered such rumors.
“His age is another source of dispute. Tinubu says he is 70. His critics say he is probably older than that. His critics also insist that he is unhealthy and unfit to be president, a claim he and his supporters have refuted.
“Allegations of corruption have clung to him over the years. He has never been convicted. Under former president Goodluck Jonathan, he was charged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal but acquitted. This was a boost for his image. His supporters argue that if he was truly corrupt, he would have been convicted, especially since he was an opposition politician”.
But the fact here is – although it is still unknown if Bola Tinubu is Washington’s chosen candidate, his actions shall prove the fact – as Americans will try to use him as the string-puppet. Moreover, if the results of the Nigerian election shall be rejected by Bola Tinubu’s rivals, the country may ultimately enter into a civil war.
It is essential to mention here that, wherever Americans have meddled into domestic politics in the past – the ultimate result has always been catastrophic to that country. We surely do not want its repetition in Nigeria though, in my opinion, Joe Biden shall not leave Nigeria into the hands of Nigerians. Instead, he will continue his evil agenda with the ulterior motive of stealing Nigeria’s mineral and natural resources.
