₦airaland Forum

… Appointment of wife as VC causes disquiet in Lagos APC

… still eying Lagos Governor seat

Tunji Bello or TB as he is fondly called has been in the corridors of power in Lagos State for over 20 years. He has officially served as head of parastatals , commissioner twice and Secretary to the State Government and unofficially he has served as the numero uno hatchet man for Bola Tinubu the self proclaimed Godfather of Lagos Politics. This hatchet role which has seen him undermine two Governors - Fashola and Ambode has earned him rewards beyond his imagination as young journalist in the defunct Concord newspaper .
His unassuming and somewhat fine boy docile mien is very deceptive and masks a shrewd , ruthless and ambitious apparatchik in Bola Tinubu’s politburo.
He has told anybody who cares to listen that his religion is Bola Tinubu and that he was pencilled down for Governor of Lagos State if not for ill health that scuttled that temporarily plan.
He is also reported to have over the years quietly acquired a vast real estate portfolio in lekki , Ajah , Ikeja areas and is also major player in the waste disposal business amongst other business . He is reported to have the unfettered ear of Bola Tinubu and is more powerful than the Governor who is generally viewed as a place holder.
Out of the original gang of Tinubu’s “button” men it is he who has remained in Government protecting Tinubu’s interest and acting as a snitch on successive Governors.
It has become so bad that Bello has become somewhat of a deity in the Lagos State Government to be worshipped by all and sundry.
Arrogance has apparently set in and he boasted that his wife Professor Ibiyinka Bello would clinch the coveted LASU VC position no matter whose ox was gored and even the Governor could not stop it and as he said ….so it came to pass to the chagrin of Lagos indigenes who have cried foul.
In the political terrain the husband Tunji Bello is the Commissioner of the powerful Environment ministry with billions of Naira budget while the wife is the VC of the State flagship tertiary institution also controlling billions of Naira. This abnormally is causing serious disquiet in Lagos political circles as to why these two positions are being monopolised by one family when there are other loyal party men and women that can fill at least one of these positions.
A top party leader who refused to be named insisted that Tunji Bello should resign honourably or be removed to promote fairness and equity.
Time will tell if the Governor Sanwoolu has the guts to remove Tunji Bello or even suggest it to Tinubu his mentor recuperating in London .
As 2023 looms political watchers are wondering whether Tunji Bello has been placated by his wife’s controversial appointment as VC or is the dark horse eying the Governor seat and will seek to undermine Sanwoolu in the coming months to achieve his dream.
Remi Odusote
Ojo.

……..battle to retain Lagos power base on the cards

In what can be described as expensive pilgrimages to the ailing self styled President of the 'Independent Territory of Lagos Nigeria'; officials of Lagos State Government, have continued to throng the London convalescing home of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress National Leader.

The pilgrimage started with the Executive Governor of Lagos State His Excellency Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu, who flew into the United Kingdom mainly to douse the rumoured passing away of the politician and former Governor of the State.

Governor Sanwo-Olu came back with photos and videos. Tinubu Media Office released a press statement thereafter affirming the facts that Tinubu is merely on his routine annual holiday, he is alive, he never visited the doctors, not to talk of having any surgery.

This visit blazed the trail for other public office holders in Lagos State scheduled visits to the strongman of Lagos politics. James Abiodun Faleke member Federal House of Representatives (Ikeja Federal Constituency) followed swiftly. He came back with stories of Tinubu's perfect health.

President Muhammadu Buhari's who was in London also on routine visit stopped by at Tinubu's residence, and his shocking appearance with a walking aid put paid to the lies spun out by Tinubu's handlers. It was now apparent that Tinubu was is in London on matters that bordered on his personal health.

Institutions of public services that have sent 'Get well' parties to Tinubu in London with chartered jets according airport manifest, include Conference 57 led by Hon Kolade Alabi, Lagos State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Idowu Mudashiru Obasa, the latest being Lagos State Executive Council led by Deputy Governor Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat and Alhaji Mutiu Are Secretary of Lagos State Governors Advisory Council (GAC).

Others on schedule include representatives of bodies of former Sole Administrators, Executives Secretaries, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) among others.

Political watchers in Lagos State and residents have decried the expensive 'get well' tourism jamboree by serving and appointed public officers in Lagos State are embarking on, in a period when resident doctors are on strike and COVID-19 pandemic is resurgent. Lagosians are worried that this “tourism” to london is costing the State Government huge costs in travel protocols and logistics and bringing governance in the State to a standstill. Tinubu should stop this charade !!!

Akinfemwa Olulade offered this medium that these visitors are not in London for Tinubu's personal sake, but on lobby mission toward 2023 presidential elections to assess Tinubu's state of physical readiness, to determine where to stake their markers.

"Lagos gubernatorial election is also on the horizon, as the Chief of Staff Tayo Ayinde, Deputy Governor Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat , Hakeem Muri Okunola and other clandestine and shadowy lobbyists were in London to consolidate on who will emerge APC standard bearer for Lagos State, especially in view of the power structure being structured with the ongoing congresses in Lagos State APC. It is now clear that the battle on who will get power in 2023 is on the table and the flight to heathrow London to see the “Queen“ has everything to do with this".

..... Lagosians still love Ambode

By Dennis Okorie

"The commissioning of the 1.2 kilometre Agege Pen Cinema bridge shows that, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the National Leader of the ruling, All Progressives Congress, (APC), is indeed at loss on how to justify, his political break down with immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode FCA.

"The Pen Cinema bridge is one of the biggest public road infrastructure delivered by the Lagos State government, and Tinubu must strategically explain to teeming Lagos residents why Ambode who is the initiator of the project and the man who took the project to eighty percent, was not offered a second term. This must have weighed heavy on Tinubu hence his self shielding false statement, that Lagos State administration was drifting to the left under Ambode and the duo of Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Obafemi Hamzat who were recruited to right this drift; Tinubu’s submission is a bold lie.

"I recall his statement when in year 2017, when in his honour the then Ambode administration commissioned over 21 kilometres network of roads and bridges in Alimosho local government. Tinubu's words ..... I do not doubt the capabilities and intellectual strength of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to perform as Lagos State Governor, but I was gravely worried because no matter how capable and intelligent a man is without funds, he cannot perform, Lagos financial position was grave when Ambode took charge. Today I say boldly Ambode has however allayed my fears. Ambode is meticulously planning, intelligently executing and tenaciously delivering for the peoples of Lagos State..... So when did Ambode drift and to where," Barrister Mutiu Ogundele submitted.

Ediale James Ayemere in his submission said, Bola Tinubu cannot divert the attention of Lagos tax payers and residents from giving credit to whom it is due, on the Pen Cinema bridge and other legacy projects of the Akinwunmi Ambode led administration, as it comes on stream.

"In a highly sophisticated society like Lagos, we know that in four years Mr Akinwunmi Ambode indeed made Lagos work for all Lagosians, and the drift was positive, pro people and pro Lagos. Two years after he left office his service signatures are yet bringing up statewide. This administration will either be commissioning, recommissioning or branding and rebranding, the Ambode administration projects and initiatives. Tinubu has nothing to say about Ambode than to attempt justify the political break down between them, as not coming from his side."

"We are all aware that the whole gamut of political caucuses in Lagos State had endorsed Akinwunmi Ambode for second term, the records are there in public domain, before hawks around Tinubu begin to feed him with reasons why Ambode should not be allowed to go for second term and he fell for it. He is yet at pain to explain his real motivations, but he must realise that Lagosians and Nigerians at large are not carried away with the tepid excuses he gave, and Ambode has become the standard of public office holders in Nigeria are being measured. Is it not ironic and poetic that the whole of Lagos political establishment congregated to commission the project by the man, who they accused of not following the Lagos master plan, please is the Agege Pen Cinema bridge part of the plan." Dr Mrs Rebecca Afolabi stated.

Nothing to justify Ambode’s second term denial. Tinubu's dark alley attempt to rewrite history shows that he is a man on self serving agenda. It will be recalled that PM News reported in 2018 that Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo warned leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State against the dire consequences of denying the State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode a second term, saying there was absolutely nothing to justify such move.

Osinbajo in 2018 handed down the warning at a meeting of the Governors Advisory Council (GAC), the highest advisory body in the Lagos APC.


The Vice President had looked at them (the GAC members) straight in the face and told them ‘you Assembly members here, you have endorsed Ambode before; GAC members, you have endorsed Ambode before; You Femi Gbajabiamila, you brought all your House of Reps members to endorse Ambode; the Lagos State Senate caucus endorsed Ambode, the whole world know that you have endorsed Ambode and all of a sudden, what shall we tell the world now that Ambode has done wrong all of a sudden after all the endorsements that you have made to warrant your current position?

“The VP queried them further that will it be enough to tell the whole world that it is for our own selfish interest that we are saying that we are not going to endorse Ambode? Is it because Ambode has not performed? Ambode has performed and everybody knows that he has performed,” the source quoted Osinbajo to have told them.
“The VP told them that in the eyes of the populace, he (Ambode) has done well and so what is it that we are now going to tell the whole world the reason for saying we are not going to support Ambode? So, does it now mean that our own personal interest should be considered larger than the interest of the masses and the State,” he said.

Tinubu, at the meeting was said to have responded that all politics was local and later threatened that he will take the incubent, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the party’s secretariat on Acme Road, Ogba to raise his hand as the candidate of the party, or quit the party.
"This history is what Tinubu attempts to rewrite while commissioning the very project initiated by the man who he claimed did not follow his master plan." Olanrewaju Timothy offered.
Lagosians will no longer be deceived by the Chief deceiver-in-chief Bola Tinubu. They still love Ambode and know where their bread is buttered and they will show it come 2023

The looming battle for Lagos and imminent fall of the Tinubu political dynasty

Bola Ahmed Tinubu The man the myth.

The Wikipedia page of Bola Ahmed Tinubu puts his date of birth at 29 March 1952 which clocks him at 69 this year. It says his mother is unknown in the first paragraph, but at the end of the page paradoxically says his “mother” Abibatu Mogaji died at the age of 96. It also says that his secondary school is unkown. It goes on to list his education and places of initial employment culminating in a stint at Mobil Oil Nigeria.
Over years serious doubts have been expressed on the veracity of the background and indeed education of Bola Tinubu . However, what will appear to be the closest unravelling of the myth behind Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s past can be found in Yinka Odumakin’s gargantuan piece titled “ Portrait of the tiger Ambode rode”. In that piece which has not been rebutted till date Odumakin punctured deep holes in the alleged age of Tinubu, background, character and his bonafides as a progressive and true democrat. The series on Tinubu’s past was set to continue with a startling revelation on what happened to Funsho Williams- the Lagos PDP gubernatorial candidate who was assassinated under mysterious circumstances; until it was rudely truncated by the intervention of a prominent South West Lawyer, who probably feared disastrous consequences for his prized client. In deference to entreaties from this lawyer, Odumakin demurred but remained unshaken with a promise to return to his stirring earth-moving penmanship at the appropriate time.
Such is the myth of the background and character of Bola Tinubu that has been kept hidden, but surely all will be finally unravelled should he embark on his rumoured presidential odyssey.

His Political empire

Bola Ahmed Tinubu has led a chequered political existence, he was at first a foot soldier in Social Democratic Party, (SDP), until he morphed into a pro-democracy activist of some sorts with the emergence of National Democratic Coalition, (NADECO). His short stint as a Senator in 1993, coupled with his association with the Alliance for Democracy, (AD), giants like Abraham Adesanya and Ayo Adebanjo propelled him to become Governor of Lagos State in May 1999. As Governor he is credited to have propelled the state to meet its growing population by public reforms. He was however ruthless in his pursuit of power and quickly dispensed with his AD dinosours and reformatted the party into AC/ACN. Along the way he dealt ruthlessly with his deputies, Femi Pedro and Kofo Bucknor Akerele through impeachment and cemented his reputation as the political generalissimo of Lagos. He had his way amidst howls of protests and installed Babatunde Fashola in 2007. He did the same in 2015 with the installation Akinwunmi Ambode, Babajide Sanwoolu in 2019 and was a party to Muhammed Buhari's presidential quest success in 2015, and an Emperor was born.
Since his emergence as Governor in 1999 and his short lived romance with the Lagos political elite and royalty, Tinubu has since brushed them aside to become the political numero uno in Lagos. The so called unconstitutional ruling party elders forum he created, the Governors Advisory Council, (GAC), is but an assembly to rubber stamp Tinubu's decisions on who gets what in Lagos State. Ocassionally tokens are thrown to the subservient Lagos elite and their offsprings, by which they become dumb and deaf to the Emperor’s excesses.
Tinubu’s political empire reached its zenith in 2011 when he held sway in practically all the south west through elections and Court heists.
However, since 2015 it appears the proverbial law of diminishing returns has set in. Oyo State was lost to the opposition PDP and his political opponents have set up beach-heads in Ekiti, Osun and Ondo States. Osun State was lost but retrieved with force of arms, while Ogun State was secured on a song and a prayer to a rampaging Ibikunle Amosun. Asiwaju was routed like a minnow in Edo state and his political hatchet man Adams Oshiomole was humbled by an erstwhile godson Godwin Obaseki.
This political descent for Tinubu was recently best summarised in the recent Pulitzer worthy 2020 article by Eniola Bello titled “The Tinubu Conundrum” The article aptly analysed Tinubu’s travails and likely descent into political oblivion after being used by the Abuja cabal.

His Business Empire & Soldiers

Asiwaju just like a Mafia Don has built an army of soldiers who do his bidding whether or not they believe in it, so far as there is political and economic benefits are asured. The list of his soldiers is endless and includes clergy, royalty, judiciary, the civil servants, the legislature, security service officers, amongst others too numerous to mention. Several prominent and not so prominent persons have been bought and compromised to the detriment of Lagosians to ensure the Tinubu empire continues. In Lagos he has ensured a long list of his original team members are in key positions, Tunji Bello/ Dele Alake/ Sunday Dare continue to hold sway as the information communication captains; Hakeem Muri Okunola Lagos State Head of Service is the civil service arrowhead; Yemi Cardoso/now Senator Tokunbo Abiru/ Moruf Oseni/ Wale Edun are the financial and money market managers; Seyi Tinubu is the undisputed outdoor advertising guru, Fola Tinubu/Dayo Mobereola are transport enforcers ; Tayo Ayinde/Hakeem Odumosu/Musiliu Akinsanya aka Mc Oluomo are in charge of the deadly security enforcement unit; Saheed Elegushi/ Gbolahon lawal are the royal hatchet men and prime and waterfront land custodians and the list is endless too numerous to mention but they are known.
Tinubu on the other the hand is the chief real estate operator in Lagos State using a vast number of lawyers, estate agents to manage properties worth billions of Naira on what is arguably the richest real estate portfolio in Nigeria all at the expense of Lagosians.
Other assets all acquired through the rape of the Lagos treasury, include the monthly 10 to 15 percent cut by Alpha Beta Consulting on Lagos Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR), this revenue collection consultancy was signed by Tinubu immediately he became Lagos Governor in 1999 and had Gboyega Oyetola his nephew and now Osun State Governor in charge then, The private jets, the shares in First Bank , Polaris Bank and Wema Bank, Television Continental (TVC) and The Nation newspaper, a collection of radio stations, all add up to the business empire of Bola Tinubu.

The battle for Lagos

As 2023 looms there are several forces warming up to dislodge Tinubu from Lagos and set his political and business empire in perpetual decline. The numbers are growing daily and its reported to include but not limited to Ibikunle Omolaja Amosun FCA, Rt Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, Atiku Bagudu, Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, Nasir El Rufai, Muiz Banire SAN, Fouad Oki, Jide Adediran, Kadiri Obafemi Hamzart, Yinka Odumakin, Rotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, Shehu Malami SAN, John Kayode Fayemi and Akinwunmi Oladapo Ambode FCA and a host of others.
The plan being hatched is to seize the political machinery of the Lagos APC from Tinubu and his cohorts or at best insist on a sharing formula which does not favour him as numero uno. If Tinubu refuses he will be forced out of the party.
Having successfully sacked the Oshiomhole led National Working Committee of the party, efforts are in top gear to see to it that no Tinubu's minion becomes the national chairman of the party. Femi Gbajabiamila Speaker Federal House of Representatives, one of Tinubu's puppets has been rendered impotent, and have been told to shape up or be removed.

The Justice Forum group in conjunction with the APC National Executive is also planning to team up with the Fouad Oki group to make a power grab during the upcoming local Government elections in order to dilute the grip of the Tinubu group on the political structures in Lagos State. Multiple law suits and public demonstrations will be deployed to thwart any attempt to deliver the 57 councils into Tinubu's kitty by using the usual selection process of GAC members and party leaders.

There are apparently at least 14 different groups who have begun clandestine meetings to close ranks to form a formidable single group across the 57 local governments and LCDA’s toward this goal.
Crowd Funding for all these various group activities is underway and the thinking is that with Tinubu and his cohorts dislodged from Lagos the coast will be clear to install a new power equation in Lagos.

Conclusion

Bola Tinubu is not the last godfather around. There are still a smattering of godfathers in Nigeria's political landscape such as James Onanefe Ibori, Kashim Shettima, Bukar Abba Ibrahim and others still operating under the radar, but Tinubu is the loudest and lousiest of the lot, the situation in Lagos appears to be one of the most perverse. Since 1999 Tinubu and his chameleonic political structure have held sway decimating all opponents including the Lagos PDP who still remains embryonic despite the several opportunities to wrest power from Tinubu .
However, from all indications it appears the sun is about to set on Tinubu’s 20 year reign and permanent retirement now looms very clearly in the horizon.

Ayodele Fayokun
Alimosho,
Lagos.