The New Political Intrigues in Lagos State

The New Political Intrigues in Lagos State


Within the next two weeks, the investigative panel set up by the Lagos State House of Assembly is expected to submit its report. Omololu Ogunmade writes on the political scenario in the state and the level the crisis has attained

Advocates of the probe of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), inched towards victory last week when the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, reconstituted a panel to investigate allegations of corruption against the governor.

The reconstitution followed the recent petition by a group under the aegis of the “True Face of Lagos,” urging the House to reconsider its recent dissolution of the panel which it had earlier set up to investigate the governor. The group has been making vehement calls for the governor’s probe since January 28, this year, when it published a myriad of corruption allegations against Fashola in an advertorial in a national daily.

Following the publication, the House constituted a probe panel to investigate the allegations. Some members of the House were also alleged to be involved in the corrupt acts. But before the panel could commence sittings, ‘The True Face of Lagos’ exonerated members of the House from the allegations, thus putting the governor on the spot. But a human rights activist, Richard Akinola, later proceeded to Ikorodu High Court to obtain an injunction restraining the House from carrying out the investigation.

The court granted the prayer, thus putting paid to the move. Consequently, the House dissolved the probe panel on March 29, this year, prompting the group seeking Fashola’s probe to commence a new move with a view to bringing him to book. The group stormed the House of Assembly complex in Alausa recently to submit a formal petition over allegations it made against the governor in January, saying the new petition would present the House with legal and procedural security with which it could carry out the task without further interference. Specifically, the group said the court stopped the earlier investigation because no formal petition was presented to the House adding that the matter was not recorded in the House journal.

Upon the inauguration of the panel last Thursday, Ikuforiji who said the matter had now been recorded in the House journal, said: "Having passed the votes and proceedings of that sitting and according to the power vested in the House by Section 128 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, the House has decided to set up the panel to investigate the allegation.”

Further, he said: "The committee is empowered to call on all and sundry that it finds necessary in order to do a thorough job and it should carry out the assignment with utmost interest of Lagosians at heart and the fear of God should be allowed to prevail".

The committee is expected to turn in its report within two weeks. Few of the allegations include the award of road and drains contracts inside Gbagada General Hospital at the rate of N1.8 billion to Tunji Olowolafe’s company, DEUX Projects Limited; spending of the sum of 1.5 billion naira of unappropriated funds, without approval on demolition of Oshodi; spending of N5 billion on two helicopters without the seal of Lagos State on it; “in six months, between January and June 2009, BRF spent on several faceless organisations, subventions, grants and donations and they quickly pocketed N2 billion.”

However, while there are allegations that Akinola, who obtained an injunction stopping the House of Assembly from investigating the allegations was only acting the script of the governor, others have dismissed the allegations with a grain of salt.

However, the report of the panel is expected to unfold indeed the true picture of Lagos as the output is expected to determine where the political interest will eventually swing. This is bearing in mind that there had been insinuations that the allegations as well as the consequent investigation were meant to pull the rug under Fashola’s feet. It would be recalled that few days after the allegations of corruption against Fashola were published, a group of protesters under the aegis of Lovers of Fashola had stormed the Assembly complex, threatening that there would be untoward consequences should the House make real the suspicion to impeach the governor via a probe report. But the Speaker who addressed the aggrieved protester assured them that there was nothing that could warrant moves to impeach the governor.

The new seven-man probe panel which is headed by Hon. Ajibayo Adeyeye, also consists of Hon. Sanai Agunbiade (Ikorodu), Hon. Rotimi Olowo (Somolu), Hon. Omowunmi Olatunji-Edet (Oshodi-Isolo), Hon. Funmilayo Tejuosho (Mushin), Hon. Babatunde Adejare (Agege) and Hon. Saka Dayo Fafunmi (Ifako Ijaiye).

Stakeholders believe that the result of the investigation will address the current state of political inertia that currently prevails in the state. This notion is held against the belief that the output of the probe will define the way forward for the state as the crisis between Fashola and his predecessor and godfather, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has changed the political climate of the state in the past few months.

When the crisis first became public knowledge last year, Tinubu was swift to dismiss the report as a tissue of lies, accusing rather the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of insinuating crisis to suit its purpose. In order to assuage the minds of the public from perceptions that the duo were not in good accord, Tinubu paid a courtesy visit to Fashola in his office, where he affirmed that their relationship remained firm as ever. But it took only few weeks later to reveal the truth.

Although a number of factors have been advanced as the cause of the quarrels, THISDAY learnt that the most fundamental of the factors, which Tinubu has found to be traumatic, is the alleged betrayal of trust by Fashola. Tinubu is said to have lamented with deep feelings the immeasurable degree of trauma and isolation he suffered from associates in his bid to bring the governor on board in 2006. The current crisis has put both men on the spot as they are both compelled to fight for their political future.

While pro-Fashola groups have alleged that the underlying factor behind the face-off was their principal’s second term bid, which they alleged has unsettled his opponents, Tinubu’s men describe Fashola as one ingrate who has paid their boss evil for his good.
The crux of the matter is the insinuation that powerful forces who hold sway in AC have ruled out the possibility of returning Fashola as the governor come 2011. Whereas, there were initial claims that the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire, was being positioned to replace the governor come 2011, recent revelations have shown that the power brokers in the party have been shopping for a Christian as Fashola’s replacement.

A top notch in the party confided in THISDAY that some Christian leaders have been summoned and briefed on the necessity for a Christian to emerge as the next governor of the state since Muslims have been taking the shots since inception. Of the four civilian governors produced so far in the state, only Sir Michael Otedola , who ruled between 1991 and 1993 is a Christian. The Christian leaders so invited were said to have been taken down memory lane on the roll call of Lagos governors so far and the need to fight for their interest.

It was against this background that the anti-fashola’s camp is said to be considering a former Commissioner for Health in the administration of Tinubu, Dr. Leke Pitan and former governorship candidate of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Mr. Jimi Agbaje for the position. To this end, THISDAY learnt that some members of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), have been reaching out to these aspirants. Proponents of Pitan’s candidature have argued at any one who served in the administration of Tinubu can equally performe as Fashola had done.

It was also alleged that in the event that the Christian card fails, a son of a prominent leader of the AC in the state, who is also a commissioner in Fashola’s cabinet, Mr. Obafemi Hamzat, is also said to be on the queue. If the Christian angle works out, either of a current member of the House of Representatives and a former commissioner and a member of Tinubu’s inner caucus is said to be positioned for the office of the deputy governor.

As at today, the scope of the crisis between Fashola and Tinubu has so widened that the wives of the duo are said to have been caught in the crisis. A source close to both personalities told this reporter that the situation has so degenerated into family affairs that both women ignore each other’s calls at intervals.

Besides, Deputy Minority Leader in the Senate, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, is also alleged to have been caught in the crisis. THISDAY reliably gathered that despite the hitherto cordial relationship between Tinubu and Mamora, the former now holds grievances against the latter. Mamora, a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and a stabilizing force in the government of Tinubu, during the first term was said to have played fundamental roles which resulted in a soft landing for the latter during the outbreak of a certificate scandal at the take off of the government.

Mamora who was said to have hitherto played mediating roles between the duo, was said to have offended Tinubu when he was quoted to have said that when there’s war, nobody knows who will first go down. This comment was said to have provoked Tinubu, who perceived that Mamora was supporting Fashola against him. THISDAY sources revealed that both Tinubu and some of his loyalists had confronted Mamora over the statement. But the senator was said to have insisted that he was neither supporting nor attacking anybody, but rather a factual expression that in any given battle, it is difficult to predict who ‘ll lose or win from the outset.

It was also learnt that as a result of this, both men have not been visiting or relating closely with each other as was the case in the past. THISDAY also gathered that this development has also intensified plans to replace Mamora in the Senate come 2011 with Ikuforiji, who hails from Epe axis of the Lagos East senatorial district represented by the senator. But a top leader in the district, told this reporter that the bulk of votes in the district usually comes from Kosofe and Somolu areas, where Mamora is very popular can easily win should he opt to run as an independent and candidate.

Some other persons who have sympathy for Mamora, have also stated that replacing him in the Senate may mean a loss to the South-west in view of his perceived enormous contributions in the upper House since 2003. Although Mamora has not formally declared his intention to return to the Senate in 2011, there are perceptions that the senator has such a plan.

Besides, there are also insinuations that some of the commissioners in the cabinet of Fashola who were staunch loyalists of the former governor have also been expressing sentiments for Fashola. For instance, a top leader of the party told this reporter that a situation where three close aides of the former governor, Messrs Opeyemi Bamidele, Dele Alake and Babafemi Ojudu are simultaneously contesting against one another as senatorial aspirants in Ekiti Central senatorial district also indicates a crack in the House. This is moreso that the three aspirants are also close friends. “Why couldn’t they reach a consensus among themselves?” a source queried.

However, there are fears that the crisis between Fashola and Tinubu have closed the political space as regards the preparation for 2011 general election. Unlike some states where campaigns towards 2011 election has heightened, no aspirant has emerged for any office in Lagos neither has the party rolled out election guidelines. A party officer told THISDAY last week that political activities will kick off in the state as soon as the ongoing registration in the party ends.

He also said there is still a long time to election season adding that people are no longer keen to commence campaigns too early because it is always capital intensive. However, as all awaits the report of the new probe panel, only unfolding scenario will determine who win