HOW FASHOLA EMERGED FROM NOWHERE IN 2007
Sunday Trust recalls that when the need to search for a successor for former governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu began midway into his second term, the name of Babatunde Fashola was not on the shortlist. He was just within the corridors of the Round House, the former office of the governor in the midst of the State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
The names on the list at the time included the former deputy governor, Mr. Femi Pedro. Some commissioners made the list, including Hakeem Gbajabiamila, Remi Adiukwu-Bakare, Oyinlomo Danmole, Tokunbo Afikuyomi, Tola Kasali, among others. The commissioners who had sought blessing from Tinubu started representing him at various events, organizing press conferences and manoeuvring among party members across the state.
One of the commissioners, Dr. Tola Kasali who served as Commissioner for Rural Development and later Commissioner for Health under Tinubu, was seen as the anointed one among the interested commissioners. He opened a big campaign office at Obanikoro Bus Stop, along Lagos-Ikorodu highway, and people started to address him as ‘incoming governor’.
Suddenly, the name Babatunde Raji Fashola surfaced and this disorganized the interested commissioners. The worst hit was Dr. Tola Kasali who had been dreaming about succeeding Tinubu. Till today, Kasali is yet to recover from the shock on hearing that his name had been replaced with Babatunde Fashola. Today, Kasali is serving reluctantly under Governor Fashola as the Commissioner for Special Duties.
The change in the anointed candidate generated uproar among party members and pushed Tinubu to the public ‘dock’ to explain who Fashola was and why he chose him. Having convinced some people, Tinubu spent a fortune to ensure Fashola was accepted. Thereafter, former aspirants became the proverbial masquerades that danced first at the market square but became part of the spectators afterwards.
At the time when Fashola’s choice was generating so much uproar and the embittered commissioners formed a coalition against their boss, Tinubu had a hectic time convincing people of Lagos and his party members in particular that Fashola was capable of succeeding him.
He had assured, “What I see in all these aspirants, you may not see. All of them, including Fashola, are working with me and I know them one by one. I know the stuff each of them is made of. I’m assuring you that Fashola is a man in whom one can entrust the treasury of the state and go and sleep. With Fashola as my successor, I assure you that you would not be disappointed.”
During the campaign for votes, Fashola too emphasized, “Nigerian youths are vibrant and knowledgeable enough to take this country to the promised land.”
The youthful Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) then assured Lagosians that they would not be disappointed if he was elected their governor.
So, on April 14th, 2007, then at the age of 43, Fashola attracted the votes of people of Lagos who got to trust him to deliver on the promises that he and his godfather, Tinubu, made. And Fashola did not leave the people of Lagos and Nigerians as a whole in doubt that he meant business by executing projects based on the party’s 10-point agenda to the admiration of the residents and visitors to Lagos.
TINUBU WAS PLEASED WITH HIM…
On several occasions, particularly on the day the popular Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was launched in Lagos, Tinubu was elated and he did not mince words when he described Fashola as ‘My success story.” He said at the event that he had been vindicated that he did not anoint the wrong person. After the launch of BRT, Fashola has succeeded in accomplishing other great heights. He has become the example for governors from other parts of the country.
By the time he had spent two years in office and attracted the nickname Actualizer, Lagosians were convinced that the second term for Fashola was a foregone conclusion. On every 100 days in office since the beginning of his administration in 2007, Fashola gives account of his stewardship to the people. On the day he marked his 800th day in office, during a question and answer period after he had addressed the people, a journalist asked him if he would be running for second term in office. He answered the question indirectly, saying, “People of the state can look at what I am doing and decide the next move for me. All I can tell you is that I am interested in the progress of Lagos”
Fashola’s achievements as the governor of Lagos State in the past three and half years have undoubtedly become a reference point in Nigeria. In fact, leaders of the main opposition party in Lagos, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) acknowledge the good work by Fashola. For instance, the former Minster of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe took a critical look at Fashola’s administration and declared that the Lagos governor had shown that good governance is possible in Nigeria if the leaders are committed.
…TILL THE CENTRE COULD HOLD NO MORE
However, as the accolade for Fashola continues and the governor is struggling to make his administration’s impact felt, the political atmosphere was polluted as the rumour spread that all was not well between Tinubu and Fashola. The rumour had it that the alleged disagreement between the godfather and his political son might likely cause the latter a second term in office.
The rumor spread like wildfire in Lagos and as keen observers investigated its authenticity, a group, The True Face of Lagos, jolted almost everybody with allegation of financial impropriety against the governor. The group suspected to be the handiwork of a group of party members who are opposed to the leadership style of Fashola within ACN took the allegation to the State House of Assembly, calling for probe.
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji constituted a probe panel to look into the allegation against Fashola. The step taken by the Speaker and his colleagues generated controversy and people started to insinuate that something serious might be amiss between the governor and his predecessor in office.
On several occasion after members of the public suspected a foul play with the sudden appearance of the True Face of Lagos on the political scene, Ikuforiji always responded that the governor ‘is one of our own’.
He would add, “We elected him and we owe the party the duty to protect him.”
But, it was obvious the House did not have any plan to protect the governor. Attempts were made to carry on the probe to nail the governor and eventually impeach him. A Human Right Activist and senior journalist, Mr. Richard Akinnola went to court and succeeded in securing necessary protection against humiliation.
HOW FASHOLA’S SUCCESSOR MAY BE ANOTHER SURPRISE PACKAGE
The political atmosphere has since then become charged. There were reports that the House of Assembly and Tinubu met on May 15, 2010 at Akodo Resort where the 2011 governorship issue was discssed. Shortly before this meeting, it was reported that prominent Lagosians, led by Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, intervened in the face-off between Tinubu and Fashola but failed to resolve the issues.
The result of the deadlocked meeting, Sunday Trust reliably gathered during the week, led to the resolve of Ikuforiji and his followers in the House to pile pressure on Tinubu who is the strongman of the party, to deny Fashola the second term ticket. And, some actions taken by the House after the meeting of the lawmakers and Tinubu at Akodo pointed to the fact that the leadership of the Assembly does not want Fashola to obtain a second term ticket.
For example, the House refused to pass the Supplementary Budget Bill of N26.billion presented by the executive, until Tinubu visited the House and persuaded the lawmakers to pass the bill.
Important party leaders who should give factual information, like the ACN Chairman in Lagos, Chief Henry Ajomale, are speaking in parables.
Fashola has been silent on the issues, but he is still hoping for a second term. Stickers of various kinds and shapes with his picture printed boldly on them are pasted on cars and some other available spaces.
How far he would go would be interesting to know. Already, he has direct opposition from Mr House Speaker and some other leading politicians who also want to be the next governor of Lagos State. It would be interesting because many already believe that the successor to Fashola might emerge as unexpectedly as Fashola himself emerged in the countdown to 2007.
