It's official, the influential ex-governor of Lagos is running for the ruling party. Bola Tinubu won Nigeria's ruling party's primary for the 2023 presidential election on Wednesday, where he will face another veteran of Nigerian politics, Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the main opposition party.

An ardent defender of democracy in exile during the military dictatorship of the 1990s, Mr. Tinubu then rose through all the political ranks on charges of corruption, without ever being doomed. A former senator, then governor of Lagos, Nigeria's economic heart, the historic leader of the APC is nicknamed “the godfather” or “the king maker” for his influence.

“I declare Bola Ahmed Tinubu as our party's presidential candidate in the upcoming 2023 elections,” said Atiku Bagudu, who is in charge of the election at Primary of the Congress of Progressives (APC) held in Abuja, the capital. Voters in Africa's most populous country are due to go to the polls on 25 February 2023, with President Muhammadu Buhari stepping down at the end of his second term, as provided for in the Constitution.

The overwhelming majority won by Mr. Tinubu reflects his immense influence in Nigeria, where he remains highly controversial. When the results were announced, dozens of his fans in the stands celebrated his victory by dancing. Aged 70, this wealthy Muslim faced around twenty candidates, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.