Outrage after Tinubu’s controversial age set internet on fire

Several Nigerians from various walks of life have expressed mixed feelings after the real age of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu, sparked controversy on social media.

The controversy gathered momentum after the recent colloquium held to mark his 69th birthday in Kano on Monday.

Nigerians subjected Tinubu’s real age to scrutiny wondering whether he is really 69 years as claimed by the former Lagos State governor.

Data obtained from Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, reads:

“Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu (born 29 March 1952) is a Nigerian politician and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress.[1] He was Lagos State Governor from 1999 to 2007.[2]

However, previous searches from same Wikipedia shows that Tinubu was born 29 March 1942 and not 1952 as presently portrayed.

See the two different ages as captured in different screenshots from Wikipedia below:

In the meantime, the controversy generated by the discrepancy has not escaped the attention of Wikipedia which has blocked Tinubu’s account from being edited.

See the attached screenshot below:

According to Wikipedia, the lock sign in blue colour signifies “Extended confirmed protection“.

The online encyclopedia explains the BLUELOCK as follow: “Extended confirmed protection, also known as 30/500 protection, only allows edits by editors with the extended confirmed user access level, granted automatically to registered users with at least 30 days tenure and 500 edits.”

ElombahNews gathered that Wikipedia took the decision as Tinubu’s age was edited 83 times!

Another argument gathering storm is that his first daughter, the Iyaloja of Lagos, is 60 years of age.

Meanwhile, the raging controversy has spilt over to the wife of Tinubu, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, who also fell under the watchful spell of pundits.

Again Wikipedia threw up two separate ages for the former First Lady of Lagos State.

While her date of birth was captured as 21 September, 1960, age: 60, on her official Wikipedia account, another search on Google has her date of birth as 21 September 1950, age: 70!

Meanwhile, on the said Wikipedia account, the editor failed to amend the age in the upper region which clearly read “21 September 1950“.

See the attached screenshot below:

Another revelation relied upon by many to discredit Tinubu’s 69 years claim was an Open Letter article written by the Afenifere spokesman, Mr. Yinka Odumakin and published by ElombahNews on March 20, 2019, titled “To the rogue called Tinubu, by Yinka Odumakin“.

The letter reads in part:

“I am Yinka Odumakin and nobody can say he had known me under any identity in my life .I have led a straight life unlike you that people know under different identities depending on whey they met you in your about 80 years on earth. Yes, 80!

“Those of us who are knowledgeable about you can’t buy your 66 claim for so many reasons.

“The current governor of Osun is the son of your immediate senior sister from Iragbiji and he is 63 while you are claiming 66.

“Your first wife died in Lagos recently unannounced at 74 .

“When the son he had for you died many moths earlier his age had to de doctored to fit into the lie that you live.

“And there is a photograph of yours at the palace of Soun Ogbomoso in 1974 when the current monarch was installed with a bottle of beer and packet of cigarette in your front.

“You mean you were 20 when you were drinking and smoking in a palace?”

Another popular caption trending on Twitter generally credited to Yinka Odumakin reads:

“Your First Wife Died At 74 But You Claim You Are 69.”

An observer told ElombahNews after watching him speak at the recent colloquium held to mark his 69th birthday:

“I intently watched Tinubu while he was speaking at the colloquium held to mark his 69th birthday and immediately concluded that this man is above 80 years.

“He was literally shaking and seemed forgetful of his immediate surroundings, a clear case of dementia, an age commonly associated with very elderly persons.

“When he was descending the podium, a man was closely following him and holding his hand as if to hold him in case he falls.

“And this is a man hustling to rule this country come 2023!”

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