By Efe Onodjae Professor Dapo Thomas, former aide to President Bola Tinubu during his tenure as governor of Lagos State, has recounted how the President defied pressure from influential leaders of the then Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, to install Babatunde Fashola as the party’s governorship candidate in 2007. Fashola later won the governorship election, defeating Musiliu Obanikoro of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Thomas, in his autobiography, Lagos Boy and Lagos Politics, revealed that despite several meetings held by prominent ACN elders, including Olatunji Hamzat, Bushura Alebiosu, Ajisebutu, Baba Taiwo and Baba Pupa, to persuade Tinubu to abandon his choice of Fashola, the then Lagos governor stood his ground. The Professor of International Relations at Lagos State University in Chapter 73, page 389, of the 445 pages book recounted: “On Thursday, June 1, 2006, our assignment began in earnest. We set our goal, to ensure victory for ACN in the April 14, 2007, governorship election with just one goal: to ensure victory for ACN in the April 14, 2007, governorship election in Lagos State. We set our objectives as well: (i) to evaluate our 10-point agenda and identify our policy strengths and weaknesses as a government and as a party; (ii) to determine or identify which of the 10-point agenda would still excite the electorate during the campaign after seven years in government; and (iii) to prepare a working document that would guide the party’s governorship candidate on how government had executed its 10-point agenda. “Our methodology was simple. We made use of resident special assistants who would give us a comprehensive presentation on the activities of their respective ministries, stating in clear terms the process and extent of implementation of relevant government’s agenda. For instance, the resident S.A. in the ministry of agriculture would address the forum on how well the ministry had been able to translate or implement government’s food security agenda vis-a-vis facilitation of sustainable food production and processing; empowerment of farmers/fishermen cooperative societies, and the ministry’s role in providing support for strategic food preservation and development of farm settlements. “After the presentation, a workshop would naturally follow to firm up loose ends in the presentation. Our approach to the assignment was both conceptual and practical. The 10-point agenda covered a wide range of sectors such as employment, power and water supply, transportation, roads, education, health, environment and physical planning, food security, revenue enhancement, and shelter. We were meeting every week in order to meet up with the various electoral timelines, both at the party and governmental levels. Because our work was a sensitive one, I decided to do the recording and the typing personally. I did not allow even my secretary to type any aspect of the document. “While we were still working on the document, we heard rumours of more people joining the growing list of aspirants for governor. Aro Lambo, a veteran politician was top on the list. Oyinlomo Danmole, who was a close associate of Chief Dapo Sarumi, was another big name on the list. Rahman Owokoniran, who was Oga’s (Tinubu) campaign manager in the senatorial election of 1991/92 was also there. There was also Kunlex Lawal. He was a professor of history at Lagos State University (LASU). Also on the list was Tola Kasali, a medical practitioner from Ibeju-Lekki. Another prominent name that was rumoured to be on the list was Tokunbo Afikuyomi. The next name was Jimi Agbaje, a pharmacist cum politician, and the last name was that of Hakeem Gbajabiamila. “There were two interesting things about this list. One, all the people aside from Timi Agbaje, were in the Tinubu administration. Two, the one whose name was more pronounced on the list and who was rumoured to have been endorsed personally by the governor was Hakeem Gbajabiamila. I did not believe he had Oga’s endorsement until a mild drama ensued between him and the Chief of Staff, Tunde Fashola inside the Governor’s Office. “I had gone to Oga’s office for one of my early morning routine discussions, but I saw that he was not alone in the office. I met Dele Alake and Yemi Osinbajo with him. I joined in their discussion. A few minutes later, Tunde Fashola walked in to tell the governor about a meeting he was supposed to hold with Professor Akin Mabogunje in his office. Professor Mabogunje was the chairman of a Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) committee. Both Hakeem Gbajabiamila and Tunde Fashola were members of the committee. The committee was established by the federal and state governments. There were other state and federal officials on the Committee. Professor Mabogunje was scheduled to hold a meeting in Alausa with the members of the committee but unfortunately, he was in a hurry to attend another event i
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