Earlier this year, billionaire oil mogul and the founder of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd and chairman of Forte Oil Plc, Femi Otedola  debunked rumours of his intention to run for governor of Lagos in 2019 expressly stating on twitter; “My attention has been drawn to a news piece where false information from a parody account was posted. I am a man of the people and I will always be on the side of the masses but I am stating clearly via this medium that I am not running for office” on the 18th of May.

All of a sudden the oil mogul recently declared his intention to run by accepting the PDP ticket for the governorship election, which has raised questions as to why the oil mogul who declared himself to be a man of the people changed his mind. Did he make the decision to run for governor for the people or does he have a new hidden agenda? Here are top 2 possible reasons why the billionaire has accepted to join the race for governor despite having no prior political experience:

1. To Increase His Popularity: The oil mogul is already popularly known for his large oil business around the country. Whats a more fantastic way to become even more popular and gain both local and international attention than to become the governor of Nigeria’s center for commerce. Perhaps, Otedola has gained more insight as to the great benefits of becoming a Lagos state governor.
2. To Increase His Wealth: It is no news politicians in Nigeria strive for a position within the government because of the many perks that come with it, one of which is to bankroll their personal businesses. The oil mogul who is said to be one of the many wealthy debtors in the country may have realized another way to increase his wealth and perhaps, clear his debts.

However, we certainly hope that Otedola’s ambition to run is for the right reasons, as the country has seen way too many leaders who come in the name of the people just to acquire political positions to aid their own personal ambitions.