Nigeria's political golden boy facing allegations of corruption

President Buhari’s clean image shaken after key member of his election campaign, Babatunde Fashola, accused of misusing finances in office. African Arguments reports

Buhari after his election win in April this year. Photograph: Yang Yang/Xinhua Press/Corbis

Lagun Akinloye for African Arguments, part of the Guardian Africa network

Tuesday 8 September 2015 07.30 BST Last modified on Tuesday 8 September 2015 09.38 BST

Once hailed as “the man who tamed Nigeria’s most lawless city”, Babatunde Fashola has now found himself at the centre of a corruption scandal that threatens to mar the new government’s attempts to present a clean image.
Since stepping down as governor of Lagos in May after a maximum two terms in office, Fashola has been confronted with allegations of misuse of finances. He stands accused of awarding hugely inflated contracts and leaving large debts of over N400bn ($2.1bn ) to his successor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

Analysis Nigeria's election of Muhammadu Buhari is truly revolutionary

People voted for change, and the hard-headed former military ruler who lives modestly will tackle insecurity and corruption – but expectations are high

Read more

Fashola has denied the allegations, describing the claims as “manipulated and unsubstantiated”. Meanwhile, some of his supporters have suggested the accusations are part of a political campaign by the former governor’s opponents to prevent him being awarded a top job in the new government of President Muhammadu Buhari, yet to be formed more than three months after he was inaugurated.
Fashola was once seen as a shining light amongst a new breed of Nigerian politicians thanks to his honest and businesslike approach to governance.
When the 2015 elections came around, Buhari called on the Lagos city governor for help and appointed him head of his campaign’s finance committee. In return, many expected the former governor to be awarded a significant role in the new government.
The centrepiece of the Buhari campaign was a renewed pledge on the war against corruption, with the then presidential candidate declaring at a rally in March that his primary goal if elected would be to kill corruption before it “kills the nation”. Fashola’s apparently incorruptible image lent the campaign some much needed authenticity.
Now, this image threatens to be severely undermined.