1. Bola Tinubu previously served as the governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, and senator for Lagos West in the Third Republic.
46 Facts About Bola Tinubu
1. 2.
Bola Tinubu returned to Nigeria in the 1980s and was employed by Mobil Nigeria as an accountant, before entering politics as a Lagos West senatorial candidate in 1992 under the banner of the Social Democratic Party.
3.
Bola Tinubu was born in Lagos into the merchant family of Abibatu Mogaji, the Iyal'oja of Lagos.
4.
Bola Tinubu is generally accepted in reliable sources to have been born in 1952; this year of birth is sometimes disputed by political opponents, who argue that he is much older.
5.
Bola Tinubu attended St John's Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos before proceeding to Children Home School in Ibadan.
6.
Bola Tinubu worked odd jobs as a dishwasher, night security guard and cab driver to support himself through college.
7.
Bola Tinubu made the honor dean's list as an undergraduate and taught remedial class tutorials, some of his classmates credited his lectures for their improved grades.
8.
Bola Tinubu was the university accounting society president in his senior year.
9.
Bola Tinubu was a consultant for Saudi Aramco's joint venture partner National Oil, helping to establish their accounting and auditing system and leading to his first financial breakthrough.
10.
Bola Tinubu moved to London where he was recruited as an auditor for Mobil Oil UK before later joining Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited as a senior company executive and treasurer in the 1980s.
11.
Bola Tinubu actively contributed and raised funds for community development programs in Lagos leading Primrose Group, a political action organization advocating for fundamental progressive changes in the state's politics during the Babangida administration.
12.
Bola Tinubu later opted fully to enter politics in exchange for his lucrative job at Mobil.
13.
Bola Tinubu went into exile in 1994 and returned to the country in 1998 after Abacha's death, which ushered in the transition to the Fourth Nigerian Republic.
14.
Bola Tinubu went on to win the AD primaries for the Lagos State governorship elections in defeating Funsho Williams and Wahab Dosunmu, a former Minister of Works and Housing.
15.
Bola Tinubu was conferred with the Honorary Doctor of Law Degree by Abia State University for his contributions to democracy, good governance, and Nigeria's development.
16.
Bola Tinubu holds numerous chieftaincy titles and supports various professional and social organizations.
17.
Bola Tinubu was involved in a struggle with the Olusegun Obasanjo-controlled federal government over whether Lagos State had the right to create new Local Council Development Areas to meet the needs of its large population.
18.
In 2006, Bola Tinubu attempted to persuade the then-vice president of Nigeria Atiku Abubakar to become the head of his new party, the Action Congress of Nigeria.
19.
Bola Tinubu offered Abubakar the chance to switch parties and join the AC, offering him his party's presidential candidacy, with the condition that he, Bola Tinubu, would be Atiku Abubakar's running mate.
20.
Bola Tinubu defected to the Labour Party while still keeping his position as deputy governor.
21.
In 2009, following the landslide victory of the People's Democratic Party in the April 2007 elections, Bola Tinubu became involved in negotiations to bring together the fragmented opposition parties into a "mega-party" capable of challenging the then ruling PDP.
22.
Sahara Reporters later revealed that Bola Tinubu made a deal with the Jonathan administration to support his re-election instead or face perjury charges levied against him on two counts by the federal government over his educational background.
23.
Bola Tinubu had previously filled out governorship candidate forms in 1998 to the Independent National Electoral Commission, falsely admitting that he had attended Government College, Ibadan.
24.
Bola Tinubu later stated in the run up to the 2015 election that he supported the candidacy of Goodluck Jonathan due to his perceived reform agenda, a claim which he had previously sued publisher Sahara Reporters over.
25.
Bola Tinubu initially wanted to become Buhari's vice presidential candidate but later conceded for Yemi Osibanjo, his ally and former commissioner of justice.
26.
Bola Tinubu went on to play an important role in the Buhari administration, supporting government policies and holding onto the internal party reins, in lieu of his long-held rumored presidential aspiration.
27.
On 10 January 2022, Bola Tinubu made his formal announcement of candidacy for president.
28.
On 8 June 2022, Bola Tinubu won the party convention vote of the ruling APC, scoring 1,271, to defeat Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Rotimi Amaechi who scored 235 and 316 respectively.
29.
Bola Tinubu was declared president-elect after he polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat his opponents.
30.
Bola Tinubu was sworn in as President of Nigeria by the Chief Justice of Nigeria Olukayode Ariwoola at 10:41 AM at an inauguration ceremony held in Eagle Square in Abuja.
31.
Bola Tinubu was conferred with the highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic by his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari, and Vice President Kashim Shettima with the second highest honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger on 25 May 2023.
32.
On 29 May 2023, Bola Tinubu ended the costly subsidy of fuel that had previously existed in Nigeria, bringing privatization to the petroleum industry of Nigeria.
33.
The direction of state security under Bola Tinubu is expected to be led by civilian control of the military under the Office of the National Security Adviser, a statutory constitutional body established in 1993.
34.
Bola Tinubu left Paris for London on a "private visit" where he met with his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari.
35.
Bola Tinubu has made calls for a coalition government in order to bring opposition leaders under him.
36.
On 16 February 2024, Bola Tinubu appointed Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo, who is married to his daughter Folashade Bola Tinubu, as head of the Federal Housing Authority, producing criticism for its alleged nepotism.
37.
On 29 May 2024, Bola Tinubu signed into law an act readopting Nigeria, We Hail Thee, which was the country's national anthem from 1960 to 1978, as its national anthem, replacing Arise, O Compatriots.
38.
Bola Tinubu has throughout his political career espoused a comprehensive political and economic platform.
39.
Bola Tinubu has been widely perceived as the "Godfather of Lagos".
40.
Bola Tinubu has attempted to strongarm the political process, including in December 2009, when it was reported that Fashola and Tinubu had fallen out over the issue of Fashola's re-election as Governor of Lagos in 2011, with Tinubu preferring the commissioner for environment, Muiz Banire.
41.
Ambode succeeded Fashola, was ousted by Bola Tinubu and replaced by incumbent Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
42.
Bola Tinubu settled with the US government and forfeited about $460,000 later that year.
43.
Bola Tinubu said the transaction was straightforward and profitable to the state, with no intermediaries involved.
44.
Bola Tinubu married Oluremi Bola Tinubu, who is a former senator representing the Lagos Central senatorial district, in 1987.
45.
On 31 October 2017, his son, Jide Bola Tinubu, died in London.
46.
Bola Tinubu holds two traditional chieftaincies; he is the "Asiwaju" of Lagos and the "Jagaba" of the Borgu Emirate in Niger State.