Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, born on 29 March 1952 in Lagos state of Nigeria, is the presidential candidate of the ruling party All Progressives Congress (APC). He won the race for the presidential candidacy of the APC on 8 June 2022 after bagging 1271 votes, defeating his fellow party-runners Rotimi Amaechi and Yemi Osinbajo. From a poor background, he managed to complete his studies from Chicago State University in 1979. Starting his career as an accountant, he played a key role in pro-democracy movements of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) in Nigeria. In December 1992, Tinubu was elected as a Senator of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the Lagos West district where he could serve for only one year till November 1993 when Sani Abacha seized power through a coup. Following a temporary exile he later became the governor of Lagos in 1999 and was reelected for another four-year term in 2003. Since then he has been very much active and controversial. He is seen to be a progressive candidate who has also allegedly been charged with corruption, which he has firmly denied. Tinubu saw charges against him dismissed whilst acting governor. 

He is widely regarded as the most powerful politician in the southwest of Nigeria and is known as the man who built Lagos or the ‘Godfather of Lagos’. These nicknames are owed to his vast fortune and his imperative role in developing the Southern state into the modern hub that it is today. This relates particularly to his time as governor between 1999 and 2007, where he focused on progressing infrastructure projects and reducing corruption to ensure financial prosperity. Tinubu has a unique characteristic in being a Muslim from the South of Nigeria; this could prove difficult when balancing the ticket as it is commonplace to have a Christian as your running mate. Typically Muslims hail from the north of Nigeria and Christians from the south. Tinubu’s chosen running mate is a Muslim from the north, a combination that could isolate many christians in Nigeria. Chief Edwin Clark, the former federal commissioner for information has criticised this decision due to the lack of inclusivity. This was supposedly the reason Tinubu did not run as current president Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate back in 2015.

However, due to his immense popularity and influence he still remains the favourite candidate. His running mate is Kashim Shettima, a former banker and governor who is currently the serving Senator for Borno central. Being from the Kanuri tribe, popular in Borno, Shettima can attract northern support contrary to his running mate Tinubu. He has pledged to deal with Nigeria’s insecurity problems, whilst Tinubu can tackle the nation's economic issues. 

The APC party has committed to fight corruption and increase the devolution of power. Key promises also include free education and affordable health care, which are problematic for so many Nigerians. The most recent APC manifesto also includes a promise of 3 million new jobs each year. This should help reduce the masses of Nigerians currently living in property despite the country's plethora of natural resources, in particular oil. Tinubu has been the national leader for the party since its formation in 2013. He was imperative to the formation of the party, bringing together three opposition parties, to create a worthy rival for the PDP. 

Questions have been put forward about Tinubu’s age, citing that it may affect his ability to rule. The current president Muhammadu Buhari has faced a realm of health issues forcing him to spend over 200 days in the UK for treatment, while Nigeria was facing turbulent times. Concerns arose after a video was released, in which Tinubu’s hands were shaking excessively. At the age of 69 he could enter a twilight period of his life. Nevertheless, there was insufficient apprehension from relevant entities, allowing Tinubu to remain the favourite.