OLAYINKA OYEGBILE
BOLA Ahmed Tinubu, presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Nigeria, holds two traditional titles: Asiwaju of Lagos and Jagaban of the Borgu kingdom in Niger State, north-central Nigeria. The titles have similar meanings: leader and leader of warriors.
Though he has held these titles for some years, they now bear more significance in the life of Tinubu, a former two-term governor of Lagos State, as he runs for president.
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
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