Today In History: I Don’t Believe In One Nigeria – Tinubu

On this day in history, April 13, Osun Defender travels back to April 13, 1997, when the current President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, allegedly asserted that he ‘does not believe in One Nigeria’.

This was contained in a This Day Newspaper publication dated April 13, 1997, of a past Tinubu’s interview with Ayo Arowolo, the present Chief of Staff (CoS), to the Chairman of Arise Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena.

Meanwhile, as of the time of publishing this report, Osun Defender cannot independently verify the authenticity of the publication.

Tinubu, before Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, began his political career in 1992, when he joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), where he was a member of the Peoples Front faction led by Shehu Musa Yar’Adua made up of other politicians such as Umaru Yar’Adua, Atiku Abubakar, Baba Gana Kingibe, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, Magaji Abdullahi, Dapo Sarumi, and Yomi Edu.

He was elected to the Senate, representing the Lagos West constituency in the short-lived Nigerian Third Republic. After the results of the June 12, 1993, presidential elections were annulled, Tinubu became a founding member of the pro-democracy National Democratic Coalition. This group mobilised support for the restoration of democracy and the recognition of Moshood Abiola as the winner of the June 12 election.

Following the seizure of power as military head of state of General Sani Abacha, he went into exile in 1994. He returned to the country in 1998 after the death of the military dictator, which ushered in the transition to the Fourth Nigerian Republic. In the run-up to the 1999 elections, Bola Tinubu was a protégé of Alliance for Democracy (AD) leaders Abraham Adesanya and Ayo Adebanjo.

He went on to win the AD primaries for the Lagos State governorship elections by defeating Funsho Williams and Wahab Dosunmu, a former Minister of Works and Housing. In January 1999, he stood for the position of Governor of Lagos State on the AD ticket and was elected. Twice, he served as the number one citizen of Lagos State.

He is presently the President of Nigeria, having won the 2023 presidential election under the ruling All Progressives Congress.