Special Report: Profile Of Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Current Ace Holder In Nigeria Politics

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

When late General Sani Abacha ousted the Ernest Shonekan interim government in November 1993, he did not reckon with the fighting spirit of the then Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu representing Lagos West senatorial zone on the platform of the left wing Social Democratic Party(SDP). The then Senate Committee Chairman on Banking, Finance, Appropriation And Currency tried to mobilize other Senators to resist the late dictator's move. Abacha reacted by ordering his arrest. Tinubu consequently left the country to United States Of America(USA) on exile. In USA, he joined the National Democratic Coaliton(NADECO) abroad.

Bola Tinubu, born on March 29th, 1952 in the famed Tinubu family of Lagos and educated at Chicago state university played an active role in the activities of NADECO abroad which led to the birth of Nigeria's fourth democratic governance in 1999.

In 1998 when the General Abdulsalami Abubakar regime lifted the ban on politics, Tinubu joined the Alliance For Democracy(AD), a political platform in the mode of the left wing SDP. He contested, won and was sworn in a the governor of Lagos state on May 29th, 1999. He ruled the state for eight years and handed over to his former chief of staff, Mr. Babatunde Fashola in 2007, who contested and won on the platform of the then newly formed Action Congress(AC) with Tinubu as "national leader".

Bola Ahmed Tinubu had in 2006, when it became apparent the AD had been disorganized, teamed up with some political associates to form the AC, which later changed its name to Action Congress Of  Nigeria(ACN). ACN under the leadership of Tinubu, against odds mounted the governorship saddles in four states; Lagos, Edo, Ekiti and Osun.

Going by the impressive outing of the party in the just concluded national assembly election, the ACN national leader is the current ace holder in Nigeria politics, courted by tendencies on both sides of the political divide.

chidi opara reports is in possession of evidences that the two major contenders in the coming Nigeria's presidential election, President Goodluck Jonathan and Rtd. General Muhammadu Buhari are aware that come the date of the presidential election, the pendulum of victory would swing wherever Bola Ahmed Tinubu pitches his political tent.