Tinubu, Fashola at war...Oba of Lagos to the rescue

Taiwo Adisa, Abuja and Idowu Adelusi - 27.01.2008

Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the incumbent Governor of Lagos State, Barrister Raji Fashola, are said to be at war over the running of the affairs of the state.

Indications also emerged at the weekend that the Oba of Lagos has intervened in the matter to douse tension. However, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Lagos State Government, Mr. Hakeem Bello, has said that relations between his boss and the former governor was intact.

Tinubu and Fashola were said to have disagreed on the running of the Action Congress (AC) and the affairs of Lagos State. Sources told Sunday Tribune that Tinubu had remained in control of the party’s machinery and the affairs of the state since he completed his term in May 2007.

It was gathered that Fashola was becoming uncomfortable with influence of Tinubu, leading to the cold war between the duo. The disagreement got to a head lately when Fashola decided to be a man of himself, but the attempt was resisted by Tinubu and his loyalists.

The realization that nearly all members of the State House of Assembly hold their loyalty to Tinubu also came up as a source of fear in the Fashola camp, but it did not stop the incumbent from raising his objections to the alleged meddlesomeness of Tinubu.

An AC source told Sunday Tribune that Fashola appears in a precarious situation if he fails to cut the influence of his former boss.

“He stands the threat of impeachment at any slight opportunity if Ashiwaju so wishes,” the source said. Besides, it was gathered that disagreement over the funding of the party and political activities of the former governor is another source of disagreement between the two.

While the former governor wants a certain amount set aside for political activities of the AC in the state and other states of the country, Fashola wants to be allowed to maintain a hold on Lagos and be spared the burden of other states.

When the cold war was about to snowball, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, was said to have been briefed and had intervened to ensure peace between the two men.

Despite the intervention of Oba Akiolu, there was apprehension in the camp of the incumbent governor who still hold the belief that Tinubu was having undue hold on Fashola.

A source mentioned that a tax consulting company, which carts home a monthly pay of N600 million, is owned by men loyal to the former governor, something that makes it difficult for Fashola to think of tackling his former boss.

“With the enormous resources at the disposal of the former henchmen in the state, Fashola has realised that he either continues to live under their shadows or gets shoved aside, but he wants to shake off the burden and stand,” a source said.

Reacting to that, Bello said that he was hundred percent sure that there was no crisis between Governor Fasola and Asiwaju Tinubu. Bello disclosed that his boss had always maintained that he reverred Tinubu who ran the state for eight years and started transformation of the state, and that he (Fashola) was only continuing from where Tinubu stopped.

Bello maintained that Fasola had served Tinubu as Chief of Staff and he shared the vision of Tinubu. He said that his boss and the former governor were siamese twins and it was the plan of Fasola to achieve more than Tinubu in transforming the state.