They called him the maker of kings and presidents for his prominent role in the victory of a number of former presidents in his country, but he renounced the title, and instead of making others, he decided to employ his electoral skills for himself this time, to run for the position under the slogan "It's my turn", until it was his turn to actually win.

It is Paula Ahmed Tinubu, the new Nigerian president who won a heated presidential election battle that was not decided in advance, in which 18 candidates competed, and its results were announced last Wednesday, so that the seventieth president inherits a long list of security and economic challenges by assuming power in Nigeria, whose ambition to be As its president, until his dream came true and he obtained 8.8 million votes, which ensured him victory.

Nigeria is a country of contrasts;

It is the most populous African country, the richest economy, the largest in oil production, and at the same time the first in Africa in terms of the number of poor people, as about 71 million of its total citizens - 213 million people - live below the poverty line, and it also occupies an advanced position in the list of the most African countries and the world havoc.

The biography of Tinubu - who will turn 71 later this month - is also not without contradictions.

It is a mystery surrounded by questions about the source of his wealth and health.

He is the first billionaire to hold the presidency, the source of his much-shrouded fortune lacks legal scrutiny, and he has a record of criminal forfeiture and drug-dealing allegations.

As for the list of challenges awaiting the man - who became the fifth president of Nigeria, since the country's return to democratic rule in 1999 - it is not new to him.

He had previously experienced many ordeals on both the personal and public levels, which earned him - in addition to his most famous title "The Maker of Chiefs" - a number of other titles, including "Warrior of Warriors", "Godfather of Lagos", "The Leader" and "King of the Long Game". Where he has been planning his ascension to the throne for years.

And each of them has a reason, a story, and battles that he fought against his political and even military opponents, for more than 3 decades, which ended with his election as president.

From Lagos to Chicago

The new president was born in southwestern Nigeria, and his official website states that he was born in Lagos on March 29, 1952 to the "brilliant" Tinubu family in Lagos state. He left Nigeria for the United States of America in 1975, and upon his arrival there he worked in "marginal" jobs. such as washing dishes, watching the night watch, and driving taxis, to test himself through the hardships of attending Richard Daley College in Chicago.

According to the site, this young Nigerian shone and showed his ability to make the Richard Daley College Honors List include his name, and then moved to Chicago-Illinois State University, graduating with honors in 1979, with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (Accounting and Management).

After graduation, he worked in an American company in the fields of communications and utilities in the United States, and expanded his practical and professional experience by participating in auditing and management consulting services for General Motors Corporation, First National Bank of Chicago, and other companies.

However, his official website does not address what was frequently mentioned on other websites and media that the new president had previously been accused by the US authorities in 1992 in a lawsuit of laundering the proceeds of heroin smuggling, and eventually reached a settlement by confiscating $460,000, but he denies any wrongdoing.

between job and politics

Upon his return to Nigeria, Tinubu worked in the oil sector, before venturing into politics, and was elected to the Nigerian Senate in 1992, serving until the following year when the military seized power.

He fled the country in 1994 after the pro-democracy group he co-founded failed to persuade the military to relinquish power.

Upon his return to Nigeria and with his international experience in financial management, the young Bola joined a Nigerian petroleum company as a Senior Auditor, before retiring as the company's treasurer.

Soon, he took his first steps in the world of politics with the cancellation of the Nigerian presidential elections on June 12, 1993, and the subsequent new militarization of Nigerian politics.

After Sani Abacha - the military successor to President Baba Ngida - abolished the transitional democratic institutions, including the National Assembly.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu became a founding member of the famous pro-democracy group, the National Democratic Alliance, and was subjected to numerous arrests, detentions, and harassment;

This forced him to flee Nigeria for his own safety, but he continued to agitate for the restoration of democratic rule in the country.

After the death of Abacha, Tinubu returned to Nigeria in June 1998, and joined the Alliance for Democracy, and a year later he began his public service for two terms (1999-2007) as an elected executive governor of Lagos state on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy, and since leaving office the rulers have adopted Those who followed him praised him and committed themselves to following his scheme, considering that he had the credit for attracting large investments and turning Lagos into one of the largest economies in Africa while he was governor of the state.

Allegations and responses

Throughout his last election campaign, Tinubu did not escape allegations of corruption, but he vehemently denies them, acknowledging at the same time the wealth he achieved by his work in auditing, and his critics say that he has interests in many sectors, including real estate and the media, and that he had a truck of The bullion at his house in a wealthy area of ​​Lagos during the 2019 elections. But Tinubu responded by saying, "I keep the money wherever I want."

Critics say he did not convincingly address concerns about his health, at times appeared disoriented and incoherent on the campaign trail, and made missteps that made him the butt of jokes on social media.

Tinubu has also been criticized for abstaining from presidential debates and delegating to his team members to answer questions about his statement during a recent outing at the Chatham House think tank in the UK.

priorities

Like his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu is a devout Muslim, has 6 children, and is married to Oluremi Tinubu, a Senator from Lagos.

During his acceptance speech, Tinubu joked that his wife would no longer return to the Senate because she would now be "a housewife and first lady".

After decades of political work during which some considered him a "political puppet," Tinubu has now emerged from the shadows into the presidency.

His campaign slogan was "It's my turn" (Emi Lokan) (in his native Yoruba language).

Tinubu was essentially preaching in favor of this slogan, and now he has to press ahead with the serious task of uniting a country divided along religious and ethnic lines, as well as a host of problems, including insecurity and an economy on the brink of collapse, as well as fuel, cash and electricity shortages. .

He will also have to work hard to get rid of the attachment to the ruling party, under which many Nigerians have suffered untold hardship.

"I am not the party... my record should speak for me," Tetubo said during the campaign. "My role is to be president." Now he is president under scrutiny.