Former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu is believed in many quarters to have played a significant part in the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari after three earlier failed attempts.
While Buhari had been unable to get needed significant votes from the South West when contested at previous times under the platforms of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP (twice), and the Congress of Progressives Change, CPC in 2003, 2007 and 2011, the alliance with Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria was the joker.
In 2015, Buhari won in five of the six South Western states, the only exception being Ekiti state. This can very well to attested to Tinubu’s influence.
Asides helping Buhari, Tinubu has also helped many many become what they are all over the country today. We bring you some of those men.
1. Yemi Osinbajo
Which name will first readily come to your mind for people in this category if not that of Yemi Osinbajo? The Ikenne born Professor of law, though an in-law of late sage, Obafemi Awolowo would most probably have ended his life in the classrooms, breeding new sets of lawyers of not for Tinubu.
Between 1999 and 2007, he served Tinubu who was then Lagos state governor as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, quickly become a trusted ally of the Jagaban of Borgu.
When leaders of the APC was shopping for a running mate for President Buhari, who was then the party’s flagbearer, Tinubu forwarded Osinbajo’s name, and the rest like they say is history.
2. Babajide Sanwo-Olu
If the name Babajide Sanwo-Olu was mentioned this time last year anywhere, it will ring no bell, as it was take intense search on the popular search engine, Google for you to have any information about him. Fast-forward to now, and he will be sworn in as the governor of Lagos state in less than 30 days.
A Quantity Surveying graduate of the University of Lagos, Sanwo-Olu’s foray into politics started in 2003, when he was appointed Special Adviser on Corporate Matters to the then deputy governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro, under the governorship of Tinubu at only 38 years old.
Tinubu then made him Acting Commissioner for Economic Planning and later Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, a position he held until the end of Tinubu’s tenure in 2007.
When Tinubu’s successor, Babatunde Fashola assumed office May 2007, he appointed Sanwo-Olu Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions. Fashola’s successor, Akinwunmi Ambode also appointed Sanwo-Olu Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC).
Sanwo-Olu shot into limelight September 16, 2018 when he declared his interest to contest the governorship primaries of the APC in Lagos State against incumbent, Ambode. events that followed later, revealed that he had the full support of Tinubu who had already fell out with Ambode, another man he helped install.
Sanwo-Olu eventually won the primaries, and went ahead to win the March 9 governorship election in the state, defeating perennial contestant Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
3. Akinwunmi Ambode
Against all odds, Akinwunmi Ambode, a retired Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Civil Service emerged the governorship candidate of the APC in the 2015 governorship election against the wishes of incumbent, Babatunde Fashola. He was the choice of Tinubu who ensured he defeated all other aspirants who were obviously stronger than him in the party’s primaries.
Ambode eventually won the election, and is the outgoing governor of the state.
Things however went from good to bad for him after falling out with his benefactor, Tinubu, who dumped him, and picked Sanwo-Olu in his stead.
4. Babatunde Fashola
Babatunde Fashola served in Tinubu’s government as his Chief of Staff between 2003 and 2007. Tinubu thereafter rewarded him, by handpicking him as his successor in the 2007 governorship election in the state, flying the flag of the Action Congress.
Fashola who is regarded by many as the best of the governors Lagos has had however was rumoured to have ran into troubled waters with Tinubu towards the end of his first term, with news going round that the House of Assembly was preparing to impeach him. Tinubu however cleared all doubts when he endorsed him for a second term in office.
The former governor of Lagos state is presently the Minister of Works, Power and Housing.
5. Kayode Fayemi
Kayode Fayemi first became well known for the part he played in Nigeria’s return to democratic rule. He was said to be the face behind the then Radio Kudirat.
Fayemi was eventually picked by Tinubu to run for the governorship of Ekiti state under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in the 2007 governorship election. He won through the Appeal Court after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC declared Segun Oni of the PDP winner of the election.
Fayemi is in his second term in office, after failing on the first try to secure second term, losing the 2012 governorship election to Ayodele Fayose.
6. Rauf Aregbesola
Till date, Rauf Aregbesola remains one of the most loyal foot soldiers of Tinubu. Believed to be the one who had control over Alimosho local government, the LGA with the largest voting strength in Lagos, Aregbesola served as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure to Tinubu.
In 2007, he was drafted to Osun state, where he contested the governorship election of the state under the platform of the ACN. He was declared winner by the Court of Appeal three years later after a protracted battle with PDP candidate, Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
Aregbesola recently concluded his tenure as governor, after ruling the state for two terms.
7. Lai Mohammed
Lai Mohammed preceded Fashola as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, staying in office between 1999 and 2003, before going to contest the governorship election of Kwara state, his home state under the platform of the Alliance for Democracy. He however lost to Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Candidate of the PDP.
He was thereafter appointed Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress in Lagos state, before becoming the spokesman of the party which later became the ACN at the National level. When the ACN metamorphosed into the APC through merger, Mohammed also emerged National Publicity Secretary of the party, being very vocal against former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
8. Ade Ipaye
Ade Ipaye is the Deputy Chief of Staff to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the same man he replaced as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State.
But before former Governor Fashola appointed Ipaye as his Justice Commissioner, it was Tinubu that took the law lecturer at the University of Lagos from the classroom to the corridors of power. During Tinubu’s eight year reign as governor of the state, Ipaye served as Special Assistant on Legal Affairs between May 2001 and May 2003, and was moved up the ladder by Tinubu, who made him his Senior Special Assistant on Legal Matters.
9. Gboyega Oyetola
Believed to be Tinubu’s cousin, Oyetola had been Aregbesola’s Chief of Staff since 2010 when he was Osun state governor.
He picked the ticked of the APC for the governorship election of the state in 2018, and was declared winner by INEC.
He is presently the governor of Osun state.
10. Femi Gbajabiamila
Femi Gbajabiamila, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives is set to return for the fifth time this year, and is contesting for the speakership position.
He through the support of Tinubu won the ticket the first time in 2003, and has been there ever since.
