Tinubu makes TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people
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Bola Tinubu
Former Lagos State governor and president-elect, Bola Tinubu has been named in TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023.
The list also has other figures which included the King of the United Kingdom, King Charles III, president Joe Biden, US Senator Mitch McConnell, Lionel Messi and Twitter CEO, Elon Musk, amongst others.
The reputable Magazine while writing on Tinubu’s profile said, “Winning an election in Africa’s most populous country is no easy feat. But Nigeria’s newly elected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has had nearly two decades to prepare. Called Jagaban, or ‘leader of the warriors’, by his supporters, the now 71-year-old ran in a presidential election for the first time this March. His campaign slogan, ‘It’s my turn’, was a nod to his role as a longtime political power broker. Tinubu helped restore the country’s democracy in 1999 after fighting military rule and then served two consecutive terms as governor of Lagos.
“But Tinubu’s win with the ruling All Progressives Congress party came in a fraught election and by a slim margin over Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.
“It was the first time Nigerian voters contended with a third-party candidate, and many discontented young Nigerians yearning for change pinned their hopes on Obi. Marred by allegations of intimidation and vote rigging, the outcome of the ballot is being challenged in court.
“Tinubu now faces a litany of crises in a fractured nation, including deep-rooted corruption, religious insurgencies, and shortages of cash, fuel, and power in a crumbling economy. But the President-elect seems aware of his inheritance: ‘[Nigeria] is one country and we must build it together,’ he said in his acceptance speech.”
Though, Tinubu has been in the eye of the storm after his controversial declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission as the president-elect.
Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party had rejected the outcome of the presidential election, after citing irregularities that marred the entire process.
The duo are already in the court challenging Tinubu’s acclaimed victory.
