According to Bola Tinubu’s Director of Strategic Communication for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake, Bola Tinubu’s fortune comes from buying shares in blue chip firms.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Alake discussed Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, and his source of wealth. He said, “What I know is that right from his days in the corporate world, he has been trading in stocks, and he himself said so.”
He has been a big investor recently, purchasing stocks, bonds, and the like. My expertise is not in the financial sector. Therefore, I will not bother myself with the specifics. But I have evidence that he has been engaging in stock trading.
“As a stock trader and a financial expert, I know you can easily navigate the stock market and all the other stuff. Those who are proficient in this area will understand what I mean. No one would ask him how he made all that money in the stock market.
He was investing in the shares of major corporations. He was financially stable and actively spent his income. He’s been doing it for years before he was elected.
Criticisms of Tinubu’s wealth have been leveled at him on numerous occasions.
Opponents and critics of the ex-governor of Lagos State have persisted in questioning his riches, with some alleging that he was crooked and secretly owned shares in several enterprises. Mr. Tinubu and his supporters, however, maintain that the allegations are false and that he obtained his fortune through honest means.
Questions like this have been on the rise as elections get near, but Mr. Alake attributes this to a combination of jealousy, anger, and the “pull-him-down” syndrome.
He explained that his achievements as governor of Lagos and as a politician after leaving government is the reason why his wealth is being questioned.
He’s pretty much the only person from his 1999 graduating class who’s at that level of political success right now. All of these negative responses to him are inevitable.
Mr. Alake emphasized that he was aware of Tinubu’s lavish spending and wealth well before Tinubu assumed office.
Before he entered politics, he had already amassed a fortune. To the average Nigerian, it’s crucial to know that “this man was not a pauper before he got into power, unlike other others,” as he put it.
When asked if Tinubu owns or has investments in any Nigerian companies, Mr Alake steadfastly refused to answer.
He questioned why it was any of his concern that he had a business in Nigeria. If you become as powerful as Bola Ahmed Tinubu tomorrow, why should I care about the businesses you hold unless it can be proven that you stole money from your state or employer?
There is no evidence to support this, and you have not been indicted. Why should I be worrying my brain right now?
“Like I often say,” he continued, “it is appealing to the whims and caprices of individuals who are jealous, exceedingly envious, and suffering from OCH, obsessive-compulsive hatred, of Asiwaju.”