The usual hold on Lagos by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, may dwindle as the country matches towards the general elections in 2027.
This is because in recent times, discordant tunes have taken over the political space in the state. Within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), members told Huhuonline.com that the customary silver lining has faded.
According to sources within the party, recent developments are leading to growing resentments and frustrations. This is coupled with the fact that the party leadership in the form of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) has been discovered to be toothless.
Huhuonline.com understands that the gladiators in the political stage are currently gathering prospective loyalists, building structures and carrying out subtle campaigns.
“But there are doubts already. You know that before now, nothing is certain in Lagos. We only awaited the mandate of one man. This time, from the environment, you would realise that it is no longer going to be business as usual.
“A lot of members are disappointed, a lot are frustrated. People are building camps already. We foresee an implosion except the party leadership quickly nips the different complaints in the bud,” a top member of the party told Huhuonline.com.
THE GLADIATORS
The initial calculation by keen political figures was that the Governorship slot would be zoned to the Lagos West. The zone has not produced a governor after Tinubu who governed the state for eight years between 1999 and 2007. He is a Muslim.
Tinubu handed over the mantle to Babatunde Fashola, another Muslim, but this time, from the Central Senatorial District making the Christians raise some protests as the 2015 elections drew close. Then, Akinwunmi Ambode was, a Christian from Lagos East came into the scene.
“You remember what happened to Ambode then. He was brought in to balance the religious equation as a Christian. But he only had a term because of circumstances beyond his control. That was why Babajide Sanwo-Olu was brought to complete the ‘Christian term’. Note that he is from the Central Senatorial District this time,” an executive committee member of the party in Lagos told Huhuonline.com.
While many thought that Sanwo-Olu would not stay beyond a term, he, fortunately, got the opportunity to return to office thus giving rise to beliefs that the next governor on the platform of APC would be from Lagos West.
“We have not zeroed in on anyone as it is. In the West, Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Assembly, was pushing close. But as it is, you just have to look elsewhere. What happened to him recently has de-marketed him,” the party exco member said.
He explained that Obasa was fully qualified for the position being the biggest political leader from the district “before his fall. This is a fall that it is not easy to rise from. His colleagues have ended whatever was his political projections are.
“Even if his colleagues had not thrown him under the bus politically, he had a stronger hurdle to cross. If you watch, Asiwaju will not put a politician with such level of sagacity in that position. It happened to Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi and Dr. Muiz Banire. They had the confidence then. All eyes were on them when Fashola suddenly emerged. Same was the way Ambode and Sanwo-Olu emerged.
“So it won’t be different. However, this time, the President might be looking for a younger and active person because of the lessons of 2023 when the Labour Party with young Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour almost took the stage.
“The fear is palpable. We are all watching the environment. We cannot afford to make a mistake at this time because we know Nigerians are wiser now,” the APC chieftain said.
Within the APC, those whose names have been mentioned aside Obasa are the State’s Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, a fine gentleman, Information Technology expert with political strength. He was poached by Tinubu, while the latter was governor of Lagos State. He is celebrated for initiating ‘Oracle’, an app that has helped Lagos filter ghost workers from its payroll.
Hamzat is more popular among the elites in Lagos and has more of the support-base within the APC and among the GAC members. “Left to us all, Hamzat should be the next governor because he has all that Lagos of today needs. His intelligence, leadership style, posture…this is not Lagos of old. If we must advance, we do not need a blemished figure. We won’t even win the election if we try it,” another chieftain of the party in Ikorodu told our correspondent on the phone.
Senator Tokunbo Abiru has not shown any sign of ambition. Those close to him said he is keeping his fingers crossed and arms open. The former chief executive of a bank has a good place in the President’s heart and he continues to empower his people as he had promised during the campaigns. Highly intelligent, he has a good rating in his district.
One of his aides told this medium that for Senator Abiru, it is a double projection. It is either he gets the candidacy for governorship or he returns to the Senate. “The second consideration is because Tinubu will not want the National Assembly to be devoid of his loyalists should he return for a second term in office. So it is either of the two,” the aide said.
Tokunbo Wahab is one person that is not talked about in the calculation, but those who know said he could spring surprises. He was Special Adviser on Education in the last administration. In Sanwo-Olu’s second term, he became the Commissioner for Environment.
Wahab, who looks young and agile, is poised to make a mark ensuring that Lagos does not suffer environmental issues. He has ordered the demolition of buildings sitting on sites meant for canals and has vowed to restore the Lagos environmental plan.
His challenge, nonetheless, would be on his acceptability among Lagosians and the non-indigenes who have accused him of victimisation.
There are feelers that Akinwunmi Ambode could be returned for another term, eight years after he was removed from office over allegations that he did not carry the party leadership along. Ambode’s administration touched major parts of Lagos. He also focused on internal roads in the state.
“Leaders in the party are seriously pushing for Ambode for two reasons. First, despite his unjust removal from office by the party, he has remained within the fold carrying out assignments and giving suggestions and advice. He is seen as a loyal party person. Secondly, the other governors all have two terms. So why should he alone suffer the humiliation of being in office for only a term?
“If he is allowed to return, I am sure he will continue from where he stopped in terms of infrastructural development,” one of his former aide said.
The State’s Attorney-General, Lawal Pedro, is said to be eyeing the office and like others who have held the position, he has decided to stay away from politicking so that eyes would not be on him.
Pedro takes cautious steps and is always away from negative media reports.
Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, is a man loved by the President far before 2023. He is young, dynamic, a technocrat and hardly dabbles into politics. He is said to have become the youngest Permanent Secretary of Lagos at a time and was appointed head of service of the state before he joined Tinubu in Aso Rock.
Within the party, it is believed that he could be anointed as he also qualifies in terms of religious consideration. He is a Muslim.
THE BATTLE AHEAD
For Lagos APC, picking a flagbearer might just be the least of its worries. The biggest headache has to do with the actual indigenes of Lagos who are poised to wrestle power from the politicians.
The indegenes have recently commenced mobilization against a non-indigene holding power as governor in the state. Currently, the three biggest offices, governor, deputy governor and speaker are all held by non-indigenes from other southwest states.
There are hush-complaints among traditional rulers in the state over this while various groups are championing a scheme that could affect the APC in 2027.
For example, De Renaissance Patriots has started “a call to action”.
The group recently said out of the political appointments made since the return of democracy in the ongoing Fourth Republic, not more than 500 have been Lagos indigenes, “highlighting a clear pattern of exclusion.”
To safeguard the heritage and future of Lagos State, the group demanded “Greater inclusion of true Lagos indigenes in state and federal governance – appointment processes should prioritize qualified indigenes.
“We demand that in 2027 and beyond, the Governor, Deputy Governor, Speaker, Head of Service, Secretary to the State Government and the Chief Judge of the State must be indigenes.
“We also demand that 90% (Ninety Percent) of the Local Government Chairmen must be indigenous people of Lagos State. Lagos belongs to its indigenous people, and they must be given their rightful place in governance. We call upon traditional rulers, intellectuals, business leaders, and community stakeholders to unite in resisting this systemic marginalization.”
NON-INDIGENES MORE IN LAGOS?
Prince Tajudeen Olusi, head of the GAC, does not believe that the indigenous Lagosians have such major capacity to change a political tide.
In a recent interview with journalists, Olusi said the actual Lagosians are fewer than the non-indigenes.
The APC chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, could not be reached as he is said to be mourning the demise of his wife.
