In a striking revelation, Sokoto-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Bello Yabo has claimed that President Bola Tinubu admitted to purchasing his way to the presidency.
According to a video of one of his sermons, Mr. Yabo stated that Tinubu made this confession during a recent meeting with clerics and traditional rulers at the villa.
“Tinubu has really impressed me; he invited all the traditional rulers from the North, West, and East and told them bluntly that ‘I bought this seat I’m on with money,'” Mr. Yabo recounted.
Mr. Yabo further expressed his surprise and reluctant admiration for Tinubu’s honesty, stating, “Tinubu has never impressed me like now for coming out to tell the naked truth. Whoever pays the piper dictates the tune; isn’t Tinubu telling the truth?”
The cleric criticized voters who sold their votes during the 2023 presidential elections, noting that they are now facing the repercussions of their decisions. “You have eaten the spaghetti and macaroni you have been given to vote, and now it is finished, it’s all over, so what next? Tinubu says he spent huge sums from the primary elections to the actual presidential election,” he said.
Reflecting on the future, Mr. Yabo added, “It’s all over now; let us pray and wait for the next election in 2027. If you like, collect his money again and vote for him, and I assure you, you’ll remain in pain, that’s all.”
Efforts to get comments from Tinubu’s spokespersons, Ajuri Ngelale and Bayo Onanuga, were unsuccessful. While Mr. Ngelale’s contact was unreachable, Mr. Onanuga answered calls twice before abruptly ending them.
This disclosure comes shortly after Tinubu’s own admission during a meeting with clerics and traditional rulers, where he stated that he funded his campaign from his personal fortune without any support from a cabal. “I have no cabal. I have no sponsors. The money I spent on the elections was my personal fortune. At some point, the odds were against me; banks were locked. But Allah, the Almighty God, said I will be the president,” Tinubu declared.
