Former Senator Shehu Sani and other proponents of the ruling APC have claimed that President Bola Tinubu’s designation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project as one of the world’s most corrupt leaders is an intentional attempt to delegitimise, mock, and demonise his government. The notorious award was given out after OCCRP invited people all across the world to suggest those who should be highlighted for their contributions to promoting illegal activity and escalating poverty.
Following a vote by participants, the Nigerian leader ranked third, according to the group, which organizes a global network of investigative journalists and activists. Mr. Tinubu was ranked third, after former Indonesian President Joko Widodo, while Kenyan President William Ruto received the most votes.
Mr. Sani criticized the prize for being shallow, arguing that online opinions are arbitrary and shouldn’t be used to evaluate the attitudes and performance of African leaders.
“The former lawmaker wrote on X that calling the Nigerian president and other African leaders the most corrupt based on online voting, rather than unquestionable facts and figures, is more of a political rating crafted from views, opinions, and perspectives.”
Many APC fans on X also criticized the award, calling it just another well-thought-out plot to delegitimize and demarket Mr. Tinubu.
“Let them continue to fool themselves. Even though they have been attempting to use blackmail to bring Jagaban down today, God continues to elevate him in their presence every day. What a waste of effort on their part,” Gbotemi wrote on X.
“Who voted in favor of it and who said it? Don Tesman Irabor, another admirer, pointed out, “They are a bunch of idiots and they lie to you completely.”
“Their aim was to project an image of global relevance to solicit donations, while simultaneously exploiting this platform to engage in international blackmail through polls lacking empirical foundation,” Ask Fatai said, criticizing the action as an act of international blackmail.
People are portraying Nigeria as the world’s most corrupt country. “You will realize that Nigeria is still learning when you hear the level of corruption even in the USA,” Yhemite remarked, calling the prize meaningless.
“The fact that he is currently president and most likely will remain so until 2031 is unaffected by the prize! “Go on with your lives,” Ibrahim Abubakar remarked.
