By Emma Emeozor
President-elect Bola Tinubu, yesterday, was named one of the most influential people in 2023 by London Times Magazine.
He was named in the category of ‘Leaders’ alongside United States President Joe Biden, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, among others.
The magazine said recipients were recognised “for changing the world, regardless of the consequences of their actions.”
Richard Stengal, former editor of Times said: “Influence is hard to measure, and what we look for is people whose ideas, whose example, whose talent, whose discoveries transform the world we live in. Influence is less about the hard power of force than the soft power of ideas and example.”
Tinubu’s citation read: “Winning an election in Africa’s most populous country is no easy feat. But Nigeria’s newly elected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has had nearly two decades to prepare. Called Jagaban, or “leader of warriors,” by his supporters, the now 71-year-old ran in a presidential election for the first time this March. His campaign slogan, “It’s my turn,” was a nod to his role as a longtime political power broker. Tinubu helped restore the country’s democracy in 1999 after fighting military rule and then served two consecutive terms as governor of Lagos.
“But Tinubu’s win with the ruling All Progressives Congress Party came in a fraught election and by a slim margin over Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. It was the first time Nigerian voters contended with a third-party candidate, and many discontented young Nigerians yearning for change pinned their hopes on Obi. Marred by allegations of intimidation and vote rigging, the outcome of the ballot is being challenged in court.
“Tinubu now faces a litany of crises in a fractured nation, including deep-rooted corruption, religious insurgencies, and shortages of cash, fuel, and power in a crumbling economy.”