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Lagos: Sharing the pork of power
By AYOOLA OLAOLUWA
Lagos State is a prosperous state with vast human and materials resources. Yet, the state is a very complex one, given its many political tendencies, caucuses and powerful movements.
Unknown to many Nigerians, even Lagosians, the state is shared among many powerful groups and individuals who run its affairs. These powerful groups and individuals wield enormous powers within their spheres of influence. They can be described as warlords who determine how choice positions in the state and its enormous wealth are shared.
Though, many Nigerians see the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the only and ultimate decision maker in the running of the state, Business Hallmark findings revealed otherwise.
According to findings, there are several influential individuals who represents various groups and blocks. Though, they are not as powerful and prominent as Tinubu, they can’t also be ignored. They have enormous powers to put spanners into the works of the former Lagos State governor. And he knows it.
Being a smart politician, he ceded power to these powerful politicians and community leaders and allow them to dictate decisions in their territories where they reign supreme.
The two dominant movements in the Lagos political circle are the Mandate Group, led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the Justice Forum, controlled by the Oba of Ewekoro in Ogun State, HRM Olatunji Hamzat.
Coming on their heels is the much weakened Eko Circle led by Chief Longe and Hon. Benjamin Olabintan, Ideal Group led by Chief Henry Ajomale and Like-Mind led by Senator Ganiyu Solomon. There are other smaller but influential groups and individuals who are not so prominent but operate in the shadows.
However, one thing common with the groups is that they pay allegiance to Tinubu as their leader. They largely remain loyal as long as their interests are protected.
Mandate Group
The Mandate Group, founded by the immediate past Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbosola, without doubt, is the most dominant political movement in the state.The movement became very powerful after Tinubu adopted it towards the end of his administration in 2007. The body that midwifed the emergence of Tinubu as governor, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organization (BATCO), which had Aregbesola as its director general, merged with the Mandate Group and since then has become indomitable under the direction of Tinubu and Aregbesola.
Its leader, Bola Tinubu, wielded considerable influence. Since he emerged as the political leader in the state, his decisions and actions have largely gone unchallenged; he dictated and decided who held key public offices and party positions.
The Jagaban of Borguhas single-handed installed over 60 percent of political office holders, starting from the ward level to the representatives of the state at the National Assembly.
His word is law in the ‘City of Excellence’ and he tolerated no challenge. Some politicians who had in the past few years challenged him have since been consigned to the dustbin of history, politically. Their political careers ended abruptly.Tinubu is seen as a thin-god in Lagos.
He is closely followed by Aregbesola who, despite being from Ilesa in Osun State, controls a large chunk of territories in Lagos. It is on record that his influence in the Egbeda, Akowonjo and Alimosho areas of Lagos is largely unchallenged. He was the commissioner for works in Lagos State during Tinubu’s administration. He was retained as works commissioner under Fashola until he moved to Osun to become governor.
While campaigning in Osun, the works portfolio remained unfilled until he was declared governor. Our correspondent gathered that he is responsible for more than thirty per cent of appointments in the state civil servicein the last 12 years, an action that has endeared him to many Lagosians.
It was however gathered that the appointments are meant to curry favour from voters and close associates who pay back at election times.
Apart from the two, the group also has several powerful individuals who call shots in the state,
They include Cardinal James Odunbaku, a very powerful and influential grassroot politician. BH reliably gathered that Odunbaku played a prominent role in the rejection of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s quest for re-lection and the emergence of BabajideSanwo-Olu as the state APC governorship candidate.
He is the arrowhead of the waste disposal arrangement between the state waste disposal agency, LAWMA and private waste collectors, popularly called PSP, which was threatened by the emergence of Visionscape on the scene.
He dispensed favour through the LAWMA/PSP arrangement and made fortune from it. So, it was not a surprise when Ambode ran into troubled waters with him when he brought in Visionscape.
The group’s influence in the politics of Lagos cannot be under estimated. It has the people, the contact and above all, the war chest to fight any political battle in the state. The group’s candidate, BabajideSanwo-Olu, emerged the governorship candidate of the state APC. All the main political blocs in the state which used to be at each other’s throats over who leads the state unanimously aligned with Sanwo-olu’s aspiration. The Mandate movement was unequivocal about their support and endorsement of BabajideSanwo-Olu and was able to induce other groups to toe it lines.
Justice Forum
Hitherto the most dominant political movement in Lagos before it was dethroned by the Tinubu-led Mandate Group, the group is still very influential. It is probably the most potent threat to the continuous dominance of Tinubu in Lagos. Founded by a frontline civil servant and politician, Alhaji Olatunji Hamzat, who is now a king in Ewekoro, Ogun State, the group ensured the emergence of Bola Tinubu as governor in 1999 when he was endorsed for governor at a special meeting in the house of Oba Hamzat on Yaya Abatan Street, Ogba.
The forum unanimously decided to give their full support to the candidacy of then Senator Tinubu after deliberating on the three governorship aspirants within the forum eyeing the Alausa top seat in AD. After about 5 hours of serious deliberations, the forum decided to support Senator Tinubu.
The forum shared power with Tinubu in his first term and appointed most of his commissioners, as well as several top political office holders. Chief Hamzat’s children held plum positions in the state. His sons were made commissioners, advisers, federal lawmakers, council bosses. The scion of the family, Femi Hamzat, a two-time commissioner, is the running mate to Jide-Sanwo-Olu in the 2019 governorship election.
However, Tinubu moved against the forum immediately he got re-elected as governor in 2003 by moving out to form a parallel group, the Mandate Group. Since then, the influence of JP has waned, though it is still formidable.
BH reliably gathered that Tinubu, faced with a damaging rebellion within his camp with the dropping of Ambode for second term, ran to the leaders of the Justice Forum to form an alliance to thwart the rebellion. Part of the deal, among several others, it was learnt, was the emergenceFemi Hamzat as Sanwo-Olu’s running mate.
Eko Circle
Formerly a strong and formidable caucus in the state Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now All Progressives Congress (APC), the group’s fortune has dipped since the death of its founder. Late Hon. Olaitan Mustapha. Mustapha and his wife died in a mysterious generator fume incident in his Ojokoro residence. While alive, he controlled the Ifako-Ijaiye and Ijaiye-Ojokoro axis.
After his death, the structure was taken over by Chief Longe and Hon. Benjamin Olabinjo, a former council boss and current special adviser to Governor Ambode.
Though its influence has waned, the group is still in control of Ijaiye-Ojokoro. The current chairman of the LCDA, Hon. Hammed Idowu Tijani, is from the group. He beat the Mandate Group candidate, Mr. DipoOkeyomi, to emerge the APC candidate in the primaries held before being elected at the polls.
Like Minds
Like Eko Circle, the influence of Like Minds, founded by Senator Ganiyu Solomon, has also dimmed considerably. Nonetheless, it is still influential in its stronghold.
Solomon inherited his political empire from his late father, Alhaji RafiuIshola Solomon, who was politically influential as a contemporary of the first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande.
The junior Solomon was elected into the Lagos State House of Assembly on the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) platform in 1998, but did not take his seat before Abacha’s death. During the return to democracy in 1999 with the Nigerian Fourth Republic, Solomon was elected chairman of Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State on the Alliance for Democracy (AD) platform.
In 2003 he was a contender to be AD Senate candidate for Lagos West, but was defeated by the incumbent Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi. His supporters greeted the primary results with violence, and governor Bola Tinubu was unable to leave the scene of the vote for several hours as the mob battled with police outside and other electoral observers.Solomon ran instead for the federal House of Assembly for Mushin Federal Constituency 1 and was elected.
In April 2007, Solomon was elected to the Senate on the Action Congress (AC) platform for the Lagos West constituency.
In the run-up to the April 2011 elections, Solomon was unopposed in his bid in the Action Congress of Nigeria primaries to run for reelection. He was reelected on 9 April.
Though he is not presently holding any political office, he, most of the times play major roles in who becomes Mushin Local Government chairman.
Ideal Group
The group is led by the immediate past state Chairman of APC in Lagos, Chief Henry Ajomale.
Ajomale was the longest serving party chairman in the state, largely owing to his loyalty to Tinubu. He is very influential in the Alimosho area of Lagos and contributed to the emergence of Senator Solomon Adeola as the party’s candidate for Lagos West Senatorial District.
BH learnt that he also has lot of foot soldiers in the district as well as in the civil service.
Because of his strength and influence, he is usually considered in the sharing of the pork after each election.
Oba RilwanAkiolu
There are other notable groups and power brokers in the state. The include the Oba of Lagos, HRM RilwanAkiolu. He is very close to Tinubu and has a very strong influence on him. He gets most of his request from the kingmaker, a source told BH.
Alhaji Jimoh Kareem LakaOrelope
A leading politician in Lagos West, Alhaji Jimoh Kareem LakaOrelope is a famous Awori leader. He represents the Awori race in Lagos and superintends over the sharing of largesse meant for his Awori people. In 2011, he was approached to nominate former governor Fashola’s running mate and he nominated his daughter, AdejokeOrelope-Adefulire, who later became the state deputy governor.
The former Lagos deputy governor is currently the Senior Special Assistant on Sustainable Development Goals.The politician also has several anointed appointees in political offices and the state public service.
Chief Durosinmi
Chief Durosinmiis the patriarch of the aristocratic family of Chief and Princess Durosinmi of Irewe town in Ojo Local Government Area, Badagry division.
A powerful politician, Chief Durosimi was a member of the defunct Action Group (AG) and Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), making him a long-time disciple of Obafemi Awolowo. Due to influence, his daughter, Mrs. Sarah Sosan, was made a deputy governor under former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Babatunde Fashola.
BH gathered that the leaders of Badagry hardly take any major political decision without his input.
