Africa

Nigeria's Political 'Kingmaker' Wins the Presidency

Nigeria's new president-elect, Bola Tinubu gestures at people around him, after he was declared winner in the West African nation's presidential race, Abuja, March 1, 2023.

Analysts report that Nigeria’s political 'godfather' Bola Tinubu has succeeded at accomplishing his lifelong goal of becoming the president of the West African nation.

Experts have defined the West African nation’s president-elect as a political 'kingmaker' who helped the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari secure two terms in office.

Experts add that since Tinubu bowed out as the governor of Lagos state in 2007 he has picked every subsequent winning candidate to run the biggest city in Africa’s most populous nation.

While addressing reporters over the weekend, the newly elected leader distanced himself from past controversies linked to the ruling All Progressives Congress and asked voters to judge him based on his performance as governor of Lagos.

"I am not the party," said Tinubu, adding, "my track record should speak for me. Look at Lagos: Before I came, we had dead bodies on the road, a chaotic traffic system, robbery daytime and nighttime."

Dapo Thomas, a political science lecturer at Lagos University said the president-elect has enough political support to bring about change in the West African nation.

"Tinubu has a very aggressive, very solid political machine," said Thomas.

Despite his victory and past as a politician that influenced the outcome of previous elections, opposition leaders and critics have defined Tinubu as “a greedy politician.”

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On the campaign trial PDP critics said the president-elect was "wobbly, wonky and narcotic-devastated," a reference to health concerns as well as a 1993 U.S. court filing that cited a "drug-related seizure of property" from the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate’s US bank account.

Since news broke of his victory, Tinubu has assured Nigerians that he will work to unite the nation.

"This is a serious mandate – I hereby accept it. To serve you... To work with you and make Nigeria great," said Tinubu as he addressed his supporters after the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

"I appeal to my fellow contestants to let us team together. It is the only nation we have. It is one country that we must build together," he added.

Adenike Mutiat Abubakar, one of Tinubu’s supporters expressed belief in his leader’s sentiments.

"He has done it before, and we know that he will do better than what he did in Lagos," said Abubakar.

"He’s the man of the people, so that’s why everybody wants him," he added.

Information for this report was sourced from Reuters and Agence France-Presse