Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been declared as the winner of Nigeria’s presidential elections, beating out two other prominent candidates. It comes three days after criticism by observers for widespread logistical failings, violence that suppressed the vote and cries from opposition parties of a sham.
For Tinubu, his victory is the culmination of a deeply held ambition.
Over decades, the former two-term governor of Lagos has evolved into a divisive yet towering figure in Nigerian politics. The wealthy, so-called political godfather is a power broker who helped outgoing president Muhammadu Buhari win the presidency in 2015.
Tinubu’s campaign slogan was “emi lo kan” in his native Yoruba — “It’s my turn.” And now it is.
He won just over 36% of the vote in one of the most tightly contested polls since the end of military rule. He lost in his home state but won by a clear margin in the rest of the country defeating 76-year-old Atiku Abubakar, a six–time presidential contestant, and 61-year-old Peter Obi, a third–party candidate who galvanized huge support from voters disaffected with the traditional political class.