By Akinwale Kasali
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress, Lagos State, have decided to intervene in the rejection of 17 Commissioner-nominees sent to the Lagos House of Assembly by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for confirmation.
In an embarrassing and unprecedented action, the House of Assembly rejected 17 out of the 39 nominees forwarded to it. Some of the nominees rejected include immediate past Commissioners Professor Akin Abayomi, and eminent Journalist, Gbenga Omotosho, who were in charge of Health and Information, respectively.
The list of the nominees was engulfed in controversy from the onset. While some Members of the House protested the non-representation of some Local Government Areas, a Muslim Religious Group, Muslim Rights Concern, MURUC, surprisingly introduced religion into the situation.
Its leader, Professor Ishaq Akintola, alleged that Governor Sanwo-Olu’s list was skewed in favour of Christians. He said only eight Muslims were nominated. The Governor is a Christian.
With the rejection of the 17, a Christian Group, Christian Rights Assembly, CRA, has blamed MURIC, insisting that the rejection was its handiwork.
In a statement signed by Pastor Eliashib James, its National Leader, CRA said the rejection of the nominees is capable of sparking off religious tension.
The Group noted that the rejection of the nominees was targeted at Christians, and wondered why nobody has taken note that in Lagos State Government, including in the Lagos House of Assembly, there are more Muslims than Christians.
The statement reads in part:
“We have watched in utter amazement the unfolding drama at the Lagos State House of Assembly where surreptitious moves are being made by the House leadership to stoke religious tension in Lagos state. Egged on by a right-wing extremist religious group known as Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) of one prof. Ishaq Akintola, the House of Assembly has manifested this by its rejection of a number of Commissioner-nominees in the State.
“We state without any equivocation that this is pure religious blackmail as contrary
to the propaganda of MURIC, which the House of Assembly latched on, there are. more Muslims in the government of Lagos than Christians.
For example, starting from the House of Assembly, there are more Muslims than Christians.
“This is the list of the 40 elected members of the 10th Lagos Assembly:
1.Hon. Mudashiru A. Obasa –Agege 01 (APC)
2.Hon. JubreelAbdulkareem –Agege 02 (APC)
3.Hon. Olumoh Saad Lukman Ajeromi Ifelodun 01 (APC)
4.Hon. Akanbi Oluwa Ajeromi Ifelodun 02 (APC)
5.Hon. Jimoh Orelope Alimosho 01 (APC)
6.Hon. Kehinde O. Joseph Alimosho 02 (APC)
7.Hon. Foluke Osafile Amuwo Odofin 01 (LP)
8.Hon. Tunde Fashina Amuwo Odofin 02 (LP)
9.Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda –Apapa 01 (APC)
10.Hon Aina Lawal –Apapa 02 (APC)
11.Hon. Solomon Bonus –Badagry 01 (APC)
12.Hon. (Engr.) Setonji David SamuelBadagry 02 (APC)
13.Hon. Tobun Abiodun –Epe 01 (APC)
14.Hon. Sylvester O. Ogunkelu –Epe 02 (APC
15.Hon. Noheem Adams Eti Osa 01 (APC)
16.Hon. (Engr.) Yishawu Olusegun Gbolahan Eti Osa 02 (APC)
17.Hon. Fatai Oluwa Ibeju Lekki 01 (APC)
18.Hon. Oladele Ajayi Ibeju Lekki 02 (APC)
19.Hon. Adedeji Temitope A. Ifako Ijaiye 01 (APC)
20.Hon. Emmanuel Olotu –Ifako Ijaiye 02 (APC)
21.Hon. Adeseyi Lawal –Ikeja 01 (APC)
22.Hon. Kasunmu Adedamola –Ikeja 02 (APC)
23.Hon. Gbolahan Ogunleye –Ikorodu 01 (APC)
24.Hon. Moshood Aro –Ikorodu 02 (APC)
25.Hon. Sanni Ganiyu B. –Kosofe 01 (APC)
26.Hon. Saheed Femi –Kosofe 02 (APC)
27.Hon Olumegbon Lawal Lagos Island 01 (APC)
28.Hon. Olanrewaju S. Afinni Lagos Island 02 (APC)
29.Hon Owolabi Ibrahim A. Lagos Mainland 01 (APC)
30.Hon. Rasheed Shabi Lagos Mainland 02 (APC)
31.HonAkinsanya A. Nureni Mushin 01 (APC)
32.Hon. Olayinka Kazeem –Mushin 02 (APC)
33.Hon. Olusegun Ege –Ojo 01 (APC)
34.Hon. Tijani Suraju O. –Ojo 02 (APC)
35.Hon. Oladapo Ajomale –Oshodi01 Isolo 01 (APC)
36.Hon. Stephen Ogundipe –Oshodi01 Isolo 02(APC)
37.Hon. Rotimi Olowo –Somolu 01 (APC)
38.Hon. Abiru Rotimi Lateef Somolu 02 (APC)
39.Hon. Elliot Desmond O. Surulere 01 (APC)
40.Hon. (Mrs.) Sangodara Mosunmola Rotimi Surulere 02 (APC)
“Similarly, there is the preponderance of Muslims over Christians among the 57 Local Government Chairmen in the State.
1.Yisa Jubril/Samuel Ayodele (Iba)
2.Wasiu Adesina/Sade Olabanji-Oba (Ikorodu Central)
3.Valentine Buraimoh/Maureen Ashara (AmuwoOdofin)
4.Usman Hamzat/Oluwatoyin Akerele (IfakoIjaiye)
5.Tijani Olusi/Akinyemi Eshinokun (Lagos Island)
6.Surah Animashaun/Sikiru Owolomanshe (Epe)
7.Sulaiman Jelili/Ibrahim Johnson (Alimosho)
8.Rasulu Idowu/Edna Uche-Ubochi (Ojo)
9.Rashidat Adu/Olusegun Ogunbiyi (Iru, Victoria Island)
10.Rasaq Ajala/Oluseyi Jakande (Odi-Olowo)
11.Rasak Ibrahim/Matthew Olaleye (Coker-Aguda)
12.Ramotullau Hassan-Akinola/Olanrewaju Moshood (Oriade)
13.Omolola Essein/Jubril Kolawole (Lagos Mainland)
14.Oluwaseun Gabriel/Samson Aromire (Apapa)
15.Olusesan Daini/Nuraini OkedinaMaja (Igbogbo Baiyeku)
16.Olusegun Onilude/Pedetin Kappa (Badagry Central)
17.Olusegun Odunmbaku/Bunmi Oluyadi (Ojodu)
18.Olufemi Rafiu/John Ogundare (Eti-Osa East)
19.Olufemi Okeowo/Adejinyan Ojora (Ifelodun)
20.Olatunde Folorunso/Monsuru Ogungbemi (Olorunda)
21.Olanrewaju Sulaimon/Adesegun Aluko (Ikorodu West)
22.Olanrewaju Apatira/Oluwayomi Lawrence (Itire-Ikate)
23.Oladotun Olakanle/Olufunke Hassan (Onigbongbo)
24.Oladele Oshinowo/Folake Kayode (Agboyi Ketu)
25.Oladapo Famuyiwa/Ajoke Obe (Agbado-Oke Odo)
26.Olabisi Adebajo/Adewale Hamzat (Mosan Okunola)Musbau Ashafa/
27.Abiodun Kareem (Oto Awori)
28.Moyosore Ogunlewe/Saliu Babatunde (Kosofe)Motunrayo
29.Gbadebo-Alogba/Femi Kabir (Ijede)
30.Monsuru Bello/Ayodele Ayodeji (Ejigbo)
31.Mojeed Balogun/Yomi Mayungbe (Ikeja)
32.Lasisi Akinsanya/Afeez Akinyemi (Igando-Ikotun)
33.Kunle Sanyaolu/Mutiu Adebiyi (Egbe-Idimu)
34.Kunle Agoro/Ayodele Benson (Imota)
35.Kolade Alabi/Zainat Kupouyi (Bariga)
36.Kayode Omiyale/Bolanle Ayeleru (Yaba LCDA)
37.IIsmail Akinloye/Lateef Adesanya (Eredo)
38.Henugbe Gbenu/Rauf Ibrahim (Badagry West)
39.Hammed Tijani/Coker Oladipo (Ojokoro)
40.Ganiu Egunjobi/Gbenga Abiola (Agege)
41.Funmilayo Akande/Olawale Olufemi (Apapa-Iganmu)
42.Fuad Atanda-Lawal/Akinbowale Macaulay (Ikoyi/Obalende)
43.Emmanuel Bamgboye/Tunbosun Aruna (Mushin)
44.Bolatito Sobowale/Omoshalewa Laguda (Ayobo-Ipaja)
45.Banjo Adebisi/Olawale Ameen (Ikorodu North)
46.Bamidele Yusuf/Muiz Dosumu (Surulere)
47.Bamidele Kasali/Oluremi Alogba (Lekki)
48.Babatunde Johnson/Kafila Akanni (Orile Agege)
49.Ayoola Fatai/Lucky Uduikhue (Ajeromi).
50.Almoruf Oloyede/Modupe Badmus (Oshodi)
51.Alade Folawiyo/Adejoke Balogun (Lagos Island East)
52.Adewale Anomo/Wasiu Dehinsilu (Ikosi Ejinrin)
53.Adesegun Bankole/Adeola Adetoro (Eti-Osa)
54.Adebayo Olasoju/Sadiq Saliu (Isolo)
55.Abolanle Bada/Olayinka Ogunleye (Ikosi/Isheri)
56.Abdullahi Olowa/Isiaka Olatunji (Ibeju)
57.Abdulhamed Salawu/Adekunle Ekinyemi (Somolu).
“Also, all the three Senators in Lagos state are Muslims. They are: Lagos CentralSenator Sanni Wasiu Eshilokunon; Lagos East:Senator Tokunbo Abiru; Lagos West:Senator Oluranti Adebule.
“Despite these, we Christians never raised an eyebrow. So why is the Lagos State
House of Assembly stoking religious tension by rejecting many Commissioner nominees on religious grounds, deceptively couched for the public as insufficient documentation?
“For a political party that has a Muslim/Muslim ticket and recently appointed new
Chairman and Secretary who are both Muslims, reeks of outlandish hypocrisy. We need to caution the Lagos State House of Assembly to stop this dangerous religious politics for the peace and progress of Lagos State.”
However, the Leaders of APC in Lagos have waded into the crisis between the Governor and the Assembly and assured that it will be settled amicably.
The Leaders, under the powerful APC-Governance Advisory Council (GAC), who spoke through their Leader, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, said the situation stemmed from the “the side effects of the operation of democracy.”
He reportedly said: “We have been contacting and consulting with the leaders of the party. It is part of the side effects of the operation of democracy.
“The House of Assembly has its responsibilities. The Executive also has its responsibilities assigned to it by the constitution. The party is the father of the two.
“So, the matter is under control. It is a family issue. Very soon, we shall lay everything to rest.”
The Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, The Rt Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, is unarguably, the most powerful House of Assembly Speaker in Nigeria. In the past years, he had confronted two other Governors of the State – Babatunde Fashola and Akinwumi Ambode – over one issue or the other. Obasa is serving his third term as the Speaker of the most active House of Assembly in the Country.
