2007: The Battle for Lagos

Politicking for control of Lagos State may have started in earnest amongst interested aspirants and interest groups

By Emma Maduabuchi

Oba Akinjobi Street located in the Lagos State Government Reserved Area (GRA) Ikeja, and its immediate neighbourhood have always been designed for residential purposes since colonial times. As a result, House Number 39, a bungalow located in the middle of a very large and expansive compound, and owned originally by the defunct Nigerian Airways had been a residential property.

Incidentally, a few weeks ago the status of the property was suddenly changed to something else that has inflamed passion between the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the state.

The residential status of this property according to the State's Physical Planning and Urban Development agency has been converted to something else.

According to the commissioner, Francisco Bolaji Abosede, who addressed the press on Friday, June 23, 2006, that was what Senator Musiliu Obanikoro did by converting the property to a campaign office for his 2007 gubernatorial dream and in the process, breached the state's town planning law of 1998.

Abosede's press conference was in reaction to Obanikoro's accusation that the state government was victimising him because the authorities were jittery that he would become the next governor of the state, thereby denying the AD the opportunity of ruling the state in the next dispensation.

Obanikoro, in defiance of a legal seal placed on the property by the state government, it was learnt, broke the seal and ordered his men to go about their normal businesses. The ministry told The Source through its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Kayode Sutton, that the action was unlawful and therefore attracts a sanction which he vowed would come in the form of prosecution.

Meanwhile, the Senator, a former Commissioner for Home Affairs in the state government before later defecting to the PDP in 2004, has travelled abroad.

The PDP in the State had up till Wednesday, June 28, 2006, continued to insist that the whole issue had been that of politics and victimisation. According to a source, the party had since 2003 requested for land to build its party secretariat but was turned down with the excuse that there were no available land. This necessitated the party to buy a building at the same GRA, along Adekunle Fajuyi Street. The party believes that all the actions of the AD-led government in Lagos were directed at what it called the "PDP's home run for 2007."

Notwithstanding, when the official who spoke to The Source was asked to produce any of the letters written to that effect, to which the state government did not honour, he declined, claiming that it was not meant for public consumption.

In reaction, Raji Lateef Oludare, Secretary of AD in Lagos State told The Source that the question of politics or political victimisation does not arise, but that what should agitate peoples' minds should be whether a law was breached and who breached it. He claimed that a law was breached, "not by the Lagos State government but by Obanikoro."

Oludare stated that many other properties were sealed, including that owned by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State who have not made an issue about it.

A list of other properties sealed at about the same time, he said, include Folawiyo Petroleum, Apapa; Lister Oil, Apapa; Superfine Foods, Secretariat Road, Ikeja; and Fara Park Estate, Shogotedo, Victoria Island.

Others were Honeywell, Secretariat Road, Ikeja, Anhorage Hotel, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island; Stiff Homes, Lekki; Rosabel Advertising, Ikeja; Oceanic Bank, Toyin Street; Ikeja and UBA, Allen Avenue, Ikeja.

Oludare contended that Senator Obanikoro was merely whipping up victimisation sentiments in order to hide the fact that the "law is no respecter of persons."

He explained that after two warning letters sent on June 8 and 13, 2006, to the senator, both of which were ignored, the government acted responsibly sealing off the property.

He also explained that the ministry received petitions from residents complaining of the illegal conversion, which had brought untold hardship to them.

Attempts by The Source to verify the authenticity of his claim by reaching out to the General Manager of the Lagos State Physical Planning and Urban Development Authority, Suleimon Yusuf, proved abortive. He could not be reached through his mobile phone as he failed to pick it.

The Source's investigation, however, indicated that residents of GRA were uncomfortable with the presence of the campaign office and other such political and business offices at the area.

Particularly, the day Obanikoro's campaign office was commissioned, sources revealed that the neighbourhood was literally turned into a war zone as gunshots were heard all over, while a lot of unwholesome acts, including molestation and pick-pocketing were registered.

Many political analysts who spoke on the issue expressed fears for the coming political rallies and elections. They claimed that what they have observed already in the build-up to the elections were frightening and signposts that 2007 could be endangered.

With as many as 30 political parties, the battle for Lagos is basically between the PDP and the AD.

For the AD, there are such names as Femi Pedro, the current deputy governor, Kaoli Akinsanya, the State's Commissioner for Agriculture; Mrs Remi Adiukwu-Bakare, Commissioner for Commerce, Ganiyu Solomon, and Tunde Fanimokun.

Others include Alhaji Hakeem Gbajabiamila, Commissioner for Physical Planning; Dr. Tola Kasali, Commissioner for Rural Development, Tokunbo Afikuyomi, one of the vocal anti- third term Senators, Jimi Agbaje and Abidoun Ogunleye, chairman of the party.

For the PDP, identified aspirants include Kingsley Adeseye Ogunlewe, former Senator and Minister of Works, Murtala Asorobi, former chairman of the party in the State and Obanikoro.

Others are Owolabi Salis; Bernard Femmy Carrena, Adedeji Doherty; Funsho Williams and Tokunbo Kamson,

The Alliance for Dmocracy, the ruling party in the state, has done everything to hold on to government. Though greatly weakened by factionalisation and about to go into a merger with other parties, the leadership has held on tenaciously.

Oludare told The Source that though the party seems diffused for now, they were not bothered since according to him, it is personalities that win elections "and we have them in the AD." He claimed there was no personality out of all that the PDP was throwing up that could stand anyone that would step out with the AD ticket.

To talk about some of these personalities, he said, would be to talk about persons such as Kasali. A successful medical doctor who was introduced into politics during the Ibrahim Babangida transition years, he had pitched political tents with former Governor Lateef Jakande's camp. Later he fell out with them and joined the Dapo Sarumi crowd.

During the Abacha years, his voice went silent, not contributing much to the dictator's ouster. Seeing himself as not being a loud politician, but somewhat a silent operator that works from the background to make things happen, he believes now is the time to come out in the open.

Another AD personality is Afikuyomi, a young man in his early 40s who is said to command large followership in the state. He was in the exile camp of the National Democratic Alliance (NADECO) chieftains with Professor Bolaji Akiyemi, Professor Wole Soyinka and Lieutenant - General Alani Akinrinade during the dictatoral era of the late General Sani Abacha. He was about the only person with courage strong enough to broadcast with his real name on Radio Kudirat.

Another personality is the state's deputy governor, Pedro, known to have played a great role in financing many of the government's programmes. However, feelers from Alausa, the state's seat of power, indicate that he is not well favoured for the position.

Agbaje on his part is considered a good friend of the governor and has been influential through Afenifere , the pan-Yoruba socio-political group.

For the PDP aspirants, perhaps the only one besides Williams who commands enough clout is Ogunlewe. Those who support him believe he controls enough war-chest to prosecute the governorship election. But being a decampee from the AD, many natural PDP members look at him with suspicion.

Williams, an engineer is a regular aspirant of sorts and fears are rife that he may be denied the ticket because of his gentlemanly approach to the rough tides of Lagos politics.

Obanikoro conversely has created enough scene to make his name popular especially by the GRA House conversion controversy. But to a lot of AD members, his name recks with betrayal. They believe that he bit the fingers that fed him by deserting the AD, and working against the party despite all that the party did for him. They also think that his conduct and utterances during the failed third term controversies reduced his standing as it exposed his limitations, both as a potential governorship aspirant and a politician.