“We’re Not Looking For Saints” – Fashola Defends Tinubu’s Controversial Past, Alleged Dual Citizenship

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said several allegations levelled against the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, were unproven.

KanyiDaily recalls that on March 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

In the build-up to the election, there were questions about the educational background, exact age, family ties, and source of wealth of the former governor of Lagos.

The forfeiture of $460,000 by Tinubu to the US government in 1993 over alleged involvement in illicit drug trafficking equally elicited questions about his personality.

Over the weekend, an international passport of Guinea Conakry purportedly belonging to Tinubu surfaced on social media, with many Nigerians calling on lawyers to sue the president-elect for perjury over his alleged dual citizenship.

They alleged that Tinubu lied in his Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) EC9 declaration, that he has not obtained any other citizenship.

Fashola Defends Tinubu

Speaking during an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, the Minister said he was not surprised by several allegations against his former boss who had always had no “easy day”.

Fashola said that despite the several controversies, Nigerians would have shown that through their votes on February 25, 2023 that the allegations hold water.

He added that the controversies trailing Tinubu might be an indication of a “positive” turnaround for Nigeria, noting there is no “sainthood” in governance and that the focus should be on performance and efficiency.

The minister said, “I think those issues have been ventilated sufficiently. When Nigerians have decided, those issues don’t matter. That is what they have said by these votes.

“Everytime, it gets more difficult, that is his path to success. There is no easy day for him. The more difficult it gets, you can be sure, it is Asiwaju.

“I think now that all of these hurdles have been surmounted. Maybe there is a divine purpose. Maybe perhaps, this is where Nigeria begins to turn in the most positive ways forever.

“Governance is not about sainthood. It is about efficiency, performance, and delivery. You must understand that we should not be looking for saints.

“All of the allegations that were levelled against him have been either unproven or no evidence offered in support of them but they have run along for a while.”

Speaking on the allegations that Tinubu allegedly obtained citizenship of Guinea, a country in West Africa, Fashola said he was not aware whether Tinubu has dual citizenship.

“I know he carries a Nigerian passport. I don’t know about dual citizenship. I know he resided abroad when he went into exile,” he added.

“I don’t know if they gave him American citizenship. What does that have to do with the results of the election? The last time I checked, I think the Nigerian constitution allows you to have dual citizenship. Doesn’t it?”

Section 137 (1)(a) of the 1999 constitution states that: “A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if — subject to the provisions of section 28 of this Constitution, he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a country other than Nigeria or, except in such cases as may be prescribed by the National Assembly, he has made a declaration of allegiance to such other country.”

KanyiDaily recalls that Bola Tinubu was recently named in Time Magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in the world for the year 2023.