President Bola Tinubu has been nominated as a finalist for the prestigious “Corrupt Person of the Year” award by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) for 2024. This annual accolade highlights individuals linked to major corruption or organized crime activities.
Tinubu’s nomination comes as part of an ongoing investigation into his financial dealings. According to OCCRP, the President's candidacy was backed by a combination of journalists, readers, and experts within the organization’s extensive international network.
A significant portion of the controversy stems from an OCCRP investigation in 2023, which revealed that Tinubu was tied to 20 properties in the UK purchased by his associates during his time as Lagos State governor. Notably, 17 of these properties were acquired by Oladipo Eludoyin, a close associate, between 2004 and 2007. The investigation also connected Tinubu’s son, Seyi, to Aranda Overseas Corp., a company involved in the purchase of a $10.8 million property, which is currently under scrutiny by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In addition to the property concerns, the OCCRP pointed to earlier allegations involving Tinubu’s alleged role in money laundering activities in the 1990s. The report also mentioned the forfeiture of $460,000 to the United States government in connection with a narcotics-related case. Tinubu has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that they are politically motivated, and has called for a collective effort among African leaders to combat corruption.
Tinubu is up against Kenyan President William Ruto, who is also a finalist due to allegations of corruption within his administration. In a separate category, Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Mbasogo received the “Lifetime Non-Achievement Award” for decades of mismanagement and extravagant spending.
The 2024 “Corrupt Person of the Year” title was ultimately awarded to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his leadership in Syria's Captagon drug trade, which has bolstered his regime's power.
Past recipients of the OCCRP's "Corrupt Person of the Year" title include high-profile figures such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and Guatemala's Attorney General María Consuelo Porras.
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