On Tuesday, the presidential candidate of the ruling party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, brought his presidential campaign to his power base in Lagos, where he was greeted with a triumphant reception at a packed stadium.
Thousands of people filled the Teslim Balogun sports complex in the city center, providing a lively conclusion to Tinubu’s nationwide road tour, just four days before election day.
Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is one of three front-runners in an unprecedented tight race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. With more than 93 million Nigerians registered to vote in Saturday’s election, the country is grappling with growing insecurity and a stumbling economy.
Tinubu, nicknamed the “Godfather of Lagos” due to his political influence, believes that his experience as Lagos governor for two terms from 1999 to 2007 makes him the right candidate for Nigeria’s presidency.
At the stadium, a large crowd of party supporters arrived in buses, waving party flags and singing, while Afrobeats musicians performed. Tinubu’s Lagos tenure was widely credited for rapid growth in infrastructure projects, urbanization, and high internally-generated revenues. His influence in Lagos state is significant, as he had a hand in selecting his successors and other key appointees since leaving office.
Many supporters at the event praised Tinubu for his achievements in improving healthcare, education, infrastructure, and security. “He’s the man for the job. He’s the only one who can do it,” said Shittu Surajudeen, a 60-year-old businessman. “He really improved medical, education, infrastructure, security,” he added.
