Tinubu Ranks Third in Global Corruption Ranking by OCCRP

Oluwasegun SanusiDecember 31, 20242 Mins read1.9k

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has been ranked among the world’s most corrupt leaders by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), taking third place in a global vote highlighting leaders accused of advancing criminal activities and exacerbating poverty.

The OCCRP, an international coalition of investigative journalists and activists, revealed that Kenyan President William Ruto received the most votes, while former Indonesian President Joko Widodo was ranked second.

Despite his third-place position in the vote, Tinubu’s notoriety propelled him to a prominent spot in the rankings.

The OCCRP awarded its ultimate “Person of the Year” label to Bashar al-Assad, the recently ousted leader of Syria, who fled to Russia in December after decades of alleged corruption and mismanagement of the war-torn Middle Eastern nation.

The judges acknowledge the importance of public interest and outrage at corruption,” the OCCRP said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

Tinubu’s inclusion in the rankings comes amidst mounting concerns over his administration’s transparency.

Additionally, Tinubu’s history of criminal activities, including a past trafficking case in Chicago, factored into his nomination, according to submissions. His certificate forgery further undermine public trust.

The Nigerian leader has vehemently denied all allegations of corruption. However, the OCCRP’s spotlight on his administration underscores global concerns over his governance and personal history.

West Africa Weekly earlier reported that a civic platform, KnowDemWell, described the political ideology of President Tinubu as a“totalitarian democracy.” The platform, launched in December, profiles Nigerian politicians across all levels of government based on their social, economic, and political backgrounds.

The KnowDemWell platform is described as a “comprehensive, non-partisan, and accurate information hub where you can access and understand the ideological views and policies of politicians and political candidates across all tiers of government in Nigeria.”

Also, in November WAW reported that The Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, confirmed Tinubu as its active asset.

This was revealed at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia as the CIA, FBI, and DEA filed a memorandum opposing a civil lawsuit requesting summary judgment and redactions in the Freedom of Information (FOIA) disclosure case about President Tinubu’s drug trafficking investigation records.

The FOIA case was initiated in 2022/2023 by West Africa Weekly‘s Editor-in-Chief, David Hundeyin, in collaboration with PlainSiteFounder Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking to have the redactions from the previously and partially released files.