The House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora has promised to reintroduce the diaspora voting bill in a bid to accommodate Nigerians living abroad.
Chairman of the Committee and member representing Oluyole federal constituency, Tolulope Shadipe, stated this on Thursday when the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, appeared before the Committee.
Dabiri-Erewa was at the National Assembly to defend the Commission’s 2023 budget and 2022 budget performance in Abuja on Thursday.
According to Shadipe, the National Assembly will reintroduce the diaspora voting bill which was rejected during the constitution amendment exercise. She said the bill for the diaspora voting would pass this time because that is the direction the world is going and Nigeria must not be left behind.
“We would be back with the bill, they are Nigerians and they have the right to vote in Nigerian elections,” she stated.
“The modalities and the issues that were raised the last time would be resolved and we would come back to it.”
The lawmaker noted that the Committee was also looking at the issue of people of Nigerian descent who are currently not Nigerians but want to return home after DNA tests proved they had ties with the country.
In her response, Dabiri-Erewa urged Nigerians to stop migrating to other countries if they did not have jobs there.
According to her, 80 percent of prisoners in Dubai are Nigerians who went there without jobs and got into trouble. The NIDCOM chief said there was a need for stronger multi-sector collaboration to stop the trend.
During the Constitution Amendment by the House of Reps in March, the push for diaspora voting suffered a setback as the lawmakers rejected the bill.
In his own presentation, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, assured Nigerians in the diaspora that the 10th Senate would put in more effort to pass the bill this time.He said, “We will do our best to make sure that this time around, we achieve your desire in this regard.“
Push News 24 Internatioonal repirts that there are millions of Nigerians living abroad. These are the top ten countries with Nigerian population. At the top is the USA (380,785), followed by the UK (190,000), Germany (56,000), Italy (71,000), Canada (51,800), France (30,000), South Africa (30,000), Ireland (17,542), China (10,000) and the Netherlands (9,453)
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU AT THE 2023 CABINET RETREAT FOR MINISTERS, PRESIDENTIAL AIDES, PERMANENT SECRETARIES AND TOP GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONARIES AT THE STATE HOUSE CONFERENCE CENTRE, ABUJA ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023
PROTOCOLS
It is a great morning in Nigeria and I am humbled and happy to stand before you on this retreat, with forward-looking determination to embark on a very strong, bold endeavour to rebuild our country’s economy and our people’s hope renewed.
Thank you very much for your attendance. With strong determination, we are brought together the best brains, the best hands to navigate the future of this country.
We are not looking backwards; we can’t compare and give excuses. This is our country we have to build it; we have to renew the foundation. We have to give hope to the populace, to Nigerians in doubt whether democracy and economic growth will be the pathway to their prosperity.
I’m here to assure you and walk with you the best brains we can put together in civil service, the brain that we can put together in our democratic parliament and have been chosen for us by the public.
It is a good thing that the chairman of our party is here but the President is the president of all, whether affiliated with some political parties, regardless of religious, ethnic or otherwise, we are one.
A great Nigeria is possible, and a greater Nigeria will come under your commitment, guidance, and resolute determination to give the country a direction.
I’m with you. And please be assured that this great country is one family in one house, geographically located, partitioned, and living in different rooms. But we are all one family.
And we are here to make allegiance and give direction to that one family, making sure that relationships can only be stronger if we give hope to our people. We can only achieve our mission with boldness and strong determination with collaboration.
As I’ve stated before, no one succeeds alone. You the civil service, you must not see a minister as he or she will come and go and you will be there. You must make a positive team for the good of this country.
Yes! I admit and accept the asset and liability of my predecessor. It’s part of the definition in my professional background.
But you are in this ship. You will make good of it but not wreck it. You are a member of a great family; don’t see that minister as opportunistic. See, he or she as a partner that we must take the ship forward. Navigate it through turbulence and clear weather.
We are lucky we have a nation; the challenges are all over the world. You can see the chaos all around you. But be focused, like a man driving in the tunnel, don’t see the sky, don’t look up, face your direction. Be committed to the value and principle of results that will affect you, your neighbour, and the entire nation.
We’ve spent the last six months reviewing and evaluating ourselves, we’ve come a long way, but we set the agenda. Healthcare is a priority. Education of our people is a must. There is no other weapon against poverty than education. You have the opportunity to change things.
Recently, three days ago, we received the Chancellor of the Republic of Germany and his delegation of investors. One of their key complaints and the question is whether they can bring their capital, repatriate their dividend, or, if not satisfied, take their capital away. The Minister of Trade and Investment was called upon by me to explain further, that those obstacles are gone, never to come back again. We are open for business.
That is why we established the Result Delivery Unit. At the end of this retreat, you’re going to sign a bond of understanding between you, the ministers, the permanent secretaries, and myself.
If you are performing, nothing to fear; if you miss the objective, we’ll review; if there is no performance, you leave us. No one is an island, and the buck stops on my desk.
I assure you, you have a free hand. You must be intellectually inquisitive to ask how, why, when, and why it must be immediate. You have the responsibility to serve the people.
I’ve taken a young lady very dynamic, Hadiza Balla Usman, to head that delivery unit. If you have any complaints about her, see me. If you’re ready to work with her, stay there. Delivery, yes! we must achieve it for the sake of millions of people.
Yes, we are talking about the population of this country. What do you do with it? Make it an asset or a liability? Focus on its progress and come up with bold endeavours. We are great talents around the world, the biggest intellectually sound country in Horn of Africa.
Yes, we have challenges in the Sahel, we have challenges of climate change, south and north of Nigeria is battered, with ocean surge, we have desert encroachment in the north, but we are still blessed with arable lands. We can do it; we can build our country.
It’s not about theorizing. It’s about practical determination and focused evaluation. Yes, it is our country. We have no other one. Let’s be proud that we are Nigerians. We can do it, we can show leadership, we can fight to make democracy a lasting reference for the rest of Africa.
Don’t be afraid to make decisions, but don’t be antagonistic of your supervisor. If they are wrong, debate it. I stand before you and I’ve claimed on several occasions and I’m saying today again as the president, I can make mistakes, point it to me I would resolve that conflict, that error, perfection is only that of God Almighty. But you are there to help me succeed. Success I must achieve by all means necessary.
We have great minds, great intellectuals, great intellects, and all that we need.
When we were discussing this retreat, I said other than members of diplomatic corps to give us goodwill and inspiration, don’t invite any foreigner to give me a lecture about governance. I’ve been through it, and I believe in Nigeria.
It started from the day I was sworn in, and that bold endeavour is only achieved through courage, determination, and focused leadership.
We are going through the reform, painfully, and we still have other challenges. Don’t be a clog in the wheel of Nigeria’s progress.
Let us look forward. Let us be determined that corruption will go, progress will be achieved, better wages for our workers, and living wages.
We will transform the economy to work for millions of our citizens. We must take 50 million people out of poverty. We must build healthcare that works for all. Look around. Don’t be wicked. Look at the standard of education, look at the classrooms, and look at the roads. We can only spend the money, we will find it, we can not spend the people.
No crime in borrowing. Thank you, World Bank, for being a lending friend. But let your achievement be homegrown. The determination that Nigeria can do it is here.
If it had not started six months ago, we are here to switch off the light, make you included, and make all Nigerians included. Our path for tomorrow is charted for our children and grandchildren. Don’t be selfish about it.
Property is not a shameful thing. It’s only unacceptable. And we have to banish it because it’s unacceptable. Let’s work on other identifiable areas.
Because a memo is submitted to you doesn’t mean that is the end of that matter. Think through it. Be inquisitive. Ask how, when, why.
I’m ready to enjoy the retreat going forward. We are not retreating from progress. We are just to talk to one another and chart a path for progress and prosperity of this nation. I’m honoured to declare this brainstorming session open. Thank you.
About 26 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have suspended the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaehwule.
Also, the House elected and inaugurated the leader of the House, Edison Ehie, as its new Speaker.
The number of pro-Fubara lawmakers increased to 26 after some realigned from the earlier 24 that wanted to impeach him.
This came following the crisis that rocked the assembly, on Monday, over the move by some of the lawmakers to impeach the governor.
The development had resulted in the burning down of the hallowed chambers of the legislative arm of the government on Sunday night.
Following the crisis, the state assembly premises had been cordoned off by fully armed security personnel.
Push News learnt it took the intervention of Minister Wike to save his godson from what may be termed a political failure of his path.
Wike was said to have summond all parties to return to statusquo and those who played key roles can go on punished.
Addressing newsmen after a brief plenary of the house at a chamber within the Government House, Port Harcourt, the new Speaker, Edison, promised to ensure justice and fairness in the process of legislation.
He said: “The House just rose from plenary and with all humility I must thank my colleagues, 26 Assembly members, who have just elected me as the new Speaker of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly.
“My commitment to Rivers people is that I will be just and fair to all and sundry. And I will ensure that rule of law takes its course.
“I will not betray my colleagues and Rivers people and I will not betray my constituency.
“I will also ensure the independence of the Rivers State House of Assembly is adhered to, with mutual respect to the judiciary and executive arms.
DALLAS : OBA AKILE PROMISES TO INVOLVE YORUBAS IN DIASPORA IN REVIEW OF PUBLIC POLICIES
“I believe the new democratically elected government is a Diaspora friendly one which will provide an enabling platform for effective policies for the Diasporans.”
A charismatic Yoruba African Kingdom traditional ruler in Texas, United States, the Oba of Dallas, HRH Oba Abimbola Akile Balogun, Oshiloye joye 1, has advise that he believes the new government in Nigeria will involve Nigerians in Diaspora in the designing, implementation and review of public policies, plans and programmes.
Oba Akile disclosed this on Saturday 28th, October, 2023 while receiving some Yoruba stakeholders in Diaspora who paid him a courtesy visit at his palace in Dallas.
The royal father said he believes the government is not unmindful of the contributions of the Nigerians in Diaspora to the economy of Nigeria, Push News 24 International reports.
Akile said: ” The National Diaspora Policy 2021 prescribes July 25th annually as a day to celebrate Nigerians in the Diaspora by recognizing their contributions to National Development and networking them to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, State Diaspora Focal Point Officers (SDFPOs) and Civil Society Organzations (CSOs) in Nigeria and if this policy is followed to the latter Diasporans have no reasons to worry”
“Consolidating Diaspora Engagement for National Development is apt giving the fact that it births the new dawn in our socio-political journey with the aim of strengthening our development in policies and programmes with our Diaspora Community across the globe for national development”.
“Let me reiterate that, as the custodian of the Yoruba Traditional stool in Dallas, Texas, I will lobby to ensure government continues to hold Diasporans in high esteem and will work hard in uplifting diasporans engagements with the government at all levels.”
The Ijebu-born royal father added that: ” It is worthy of note that I and my Oba-in-Council will collaborate with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to further celebrate the amazing contributions of our Diaspora Champions with the introduction of initiatives that will not only serve as a morale booster for the Diaspora community but will also encourage Diaspora engagement and participation for national development.
“Let me also commend the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) for its dynamic engagements with the Diaspora community especially in coming up with laudable programmes for Nigerians in Diaspora to invest at home. I believe in the years to come, these programmes will impact tremendously on our economy by catalyzing our developmental efforts.
“May I also let you know that this new democratically elected government is a Diaspora friendly one, which will provide an enabling platform for effective policies for the Diaspora with the view to galvanizing support for the new administration and concretizing our democracy, setting a good example for other African countries to emulate.
Push News 24 International also reports that Oba Akile advise Nigerians to key into the development agenda as only Nigerians can develop Nigeria. This includes both those at home and those in the Diaspora.”
Unofficial reports states that there are about 15 million Nigerians in the diaspora and majority in the US, With Texas having over 100 thousand Nigerians.
UMUAHIA : TINUBU MINISTER WINS AS LABOUR PARTY OGAH LOSE REPS SIT
The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, on Wednesday, nullified the election of Amobi Ogah of the Labour Party representing Isiukwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency on grounds of non-compliance to the Electoral Act.
Delivering Judgement in the Petition tagged EPT/AB/HR/8/2023 on Wednesday in Umuahia, the three-member Panel 1 of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal said the candidate of the Labour Party did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
“How a candidate is sponsored by a political party is both pre- and post-election, there is no evidence of giving 21 days’ notice to INEC by the respondent before conducting their primary election.
“No date of primaries was placed before us; no evidence of primaries and the 3rd respondent has always said it’s an internal affair of the party.
“We have tabulated and found out that the results computed by the petition are correct and the results computed by the 1st respondent are dis-countenanced,” the tribunal ruled.
Ogah had argued that the acceptance of the ministerial appointment of Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha as minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was a sign that she had abandoned her petition. But the tribunal in her ruling dismissed the submission of the lawmaker.
We are of the view that Section 66 is not applicable to this scenario because the petitioner is not a lawmaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The scenario prohibited by law is a person being a member of two arms of government,” the court ruled.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had on February 28 declared the Labour Party candidate, Ogah, as the winner of the Isiukwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency election with a total of 11,769 votes against the current Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who the commission said scored a total of 8,752 votes.
Not happy with the result, Onyejeocha filed a petition before the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, seeking the nullification of Ogah’s election in seven reliefs contained in her petition.
AMUWO ODOFIN : GEORGE OLAWANDE’S ELECTION UPHELD AS SANUSI AIMS TO APPEAL TRIBUNAL JUDGEMENT
The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Lagos has dismissed the election petition filed against the member representing Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency, George Olawande of the Labour Party.
Prince Lanre A. Sanusi (PLS) who is the All Progressives Congress (APC), House of Representative Candidate had challenged the declaration of his Labour Party opponent as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting George and his party did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, hence, do not stand qualified to contest in the election.
Delivering the judgement, the three-man panel did not agree with the petitioner that the candidate of the Labour Party was not qualified to contest the elections.
Members of the panel were Justice A. B. Abdullahi, Justice Okon A. Okon and Justice Esther Nnenna Alukwu.
However, Sanusi in a statement on Wednesday urged his supporters to maintain calm as he vowed to consult his lawyers and exercise his rights to appeal the judgment within the stipulated days.
“While I am waiting for my team of lawyers to give me full details on the judgment, I urge all my supporters to be calm and peaceful, as their mandate is not lost. I verily know that I have the option of appeal at the Court of Appeal, which I shall exercise after due consultation with my lawyers. I urge my supporters not to be disturbed but to believe that we will get it right.”
In similar vein last month, the Lagos State National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ikeja, sacked Hon Sowunmi, member representing Ojo Federal Constituency replacing him with Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi.
In the case against Olawande, recall that the Labour Party Star Witness , Hon George Olawande was physically present at the Tribunal as a star witness in the ongoing suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and two other political party challenging the process which led to emergence of Olawande as LP candidate
The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Mr Abayomi Arabambi has faulted the candidature of the Amuwo-Odofin House of Representatives member-elect, Mr Olawande George, describing the process that churned him out as shambolic.
Arabambi who subpoenaed to unravel some shaddy discovery at th Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja Lagos that was never among the candidates sponsored by the Labour Party for the February 25th election.
KOGI : PDP NATASHA DECLARED WINNER AS TRIBUNAL KICKS OUT APC OHERE
The Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday nullified the victory of Sen. Abubakar Ohere as the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election.
The court further declared Natasha Akpoti- Uduagan as the actual winner of the February Senatorial election in Kogi Central.
The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako who read the unanimous judgment of the 3-man panel, said Ohere results were inflated in 9 polling units of Ajaokuta LGA while that of Natasha was intentional reduced in 9 of the same polling units by the INEC, as well as 3 other polling units result that was deliberately not entered for Natasha in the same LGA.
The court, after making the proper correction, declare Natasha Akpoti- Uduagan (PDP) as winner of the poll having polled 54,074 against Ohere (APC) who polled 51,291.
The governor of the state, Yahaya Bello is from the district.
DRIVERS LICENSE : NIGERIANS IN DIASPORA EXCITES AS UNITED STATES ADOPTS YORUBA LANGUAGE IN TRANSPORT ADMINISTRATION
Nigerian-Americans are among the most successful immigrant groups, topping the charts in a wide array of fields.
The Yoruba people of present-day South-Western Nigeria are the fountainhead of a number of vibrant and growing global success from arts, religion, education, music, sports etc.
From BALTIMORE USA — Maryland’s learner’s permit knowledge test, and its study materials, will soon be offered in nine more languages, bringing the total for each to 17 languages.
Getting a learner’s permit is the first step to getting a driver’s license in the state.
The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration said it is expanding accessibility services as part of Gov. Wes Moore’s focus on equity and access.
The new languages being offered are:
Yoruba (West Africa) Tagalog Amharic (Afro-Asiatic language) Arabic Russian Urdu Hindi Farsi Portuguese American Sign Language
Motor Vehicle Administrator Chrissy Nizer said in a news release that enhancing the accessibility for the driver’s knowledge test and study materials is critical in serving the state’s “linguistically diverse population.”
“We are committed to the safety of all our new drivers and we want all our applicants to understand the materials clearly and have a positive testing experience,” Nizer stated.
To apply for a learner’s permit, applicants must pass the permit driver’s knowledge test which is comprised of 25 random questions that include topics such as roadway signage, rules of the road and more. Applicants must finish the test within 20 minutes with a score of 88% or better to pass.
In faraway United States of America, there is a Yoruba community named Oyotunji African Village. It is located near Sheldon, Beaufort County, South Carolina. Oyotunji is regarded as North America’s oldest authentic African village.
Three Nigerian Nationals Extradited from the United Kingdom and Spain to Face Fraud Charges
It’s no longer news that online crimes is on the rise with the advancement in technology. The US government is also not resting on ensuring fraudsters are exposed and prosecuted.
A recent publication by the US Department of Public Safety indicated that three Nigerians are currently undergoing investigation over fraud crimes.
Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service constantly strives to protect our communities from predatory criminals seeking to abuse and exploit the most vulnerable members of our society,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “This case is an example of how Postal Inspectors will vigorously pursue fraudsters and ensure that they are brought to justice for the crimes they have committed.”
“These extraditions prove that by pulling law enforcement agencies together, we can best focus on investigating individuals and illicit criminal organizations associated with foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect vulnerable seniors,” Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “I want to thank everyone involved in this investigation and in the extradition process for their dedication; together we have the tools to keep our elderly from falling prey to these scams.”
The defendants are all charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as mail fraud and wire fraud. Neboh and Samuel were both extradited earlier this year. If convicted, Ikponmwosa, Abraham, and Ozor each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
If it was a deliberate move to embarrass Lagos state Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, it was spectacularly effective and devastating.
The Governor was left red-faced as he felt the first challenge to his authority since he took office in 2019.
The Lagos State House of Assembly in a surprise move had rejected 17 nominees that Governor Sanwo-Olu submitted to the Assembly. Of the 39 nominees screened, only 22 scaled the hurdle while the others, mainly returning former commissioners were rejected.
This had never happened in the history of Lagos especially since the All Progressives Congress (APC) controls both the executive and the legislature.
To most people, the action of the House showed that there was a political war between the governor and the Assembly. But what could have led to this? Before the face-off, there had been no love lost between the Governor and the Speaker of the Assembly, Hon Mudasiru Obasa.
Following the decision of President Bola Tinubu to hand over the political control of the state of excellence to Sanwo-Olu, the Governor saw it as an opportunity to exert his authority on the polity, and especially the House of Assembly and its Speaker who saw himself as the alternate governor. So obvious was the aloofness of Obasa that he never attended any function with the Governor.
He would rather delegate other Assembly members to represent him on such occasions. Sanwo-Olu saw his new position as political leader as an opportunity to cut the Speaker to size. In the build-up to the selection and election of the House of Assembly leadership, the governor propped up Hon Abiodun Tobun to challenge Obasa for the Speakership of the House. The political move created so much tension in Lagos that President Tinubu was forced to invite both gladiators to State House,Abuja during which he brokered peace among them. The President was said to have persuaded the Governor not to humiliate the Speaker but let Obasa retain his position as Speaker even as he specifically drummed it to the hearing of all those present at the peace meeting that the Governor remains the political leader of the state and party in Lagos.
While the President’s decision is seen as a mediation, Obasa sees it as a move to consolidate his hold on the Assembly.
Immediately after he was re-elected Speaker, he ensured his loyalists in the House were put in leadership positions just as he alienated the opposition. He also went ahead to start challenging the Governor’s leadership. The House accused the government of being soft on every issue, and more especially on security. They ordered him to address the House more than once.
A move that had never happened in the history of the state.
It was in the middle of this tension that the Governor, to comply with the constitutional requirement of 60 days to submit his cabinet list forwarded a 39-man commissioner nominees list to the State Assembly. Most of those whose names were submitted included returning commissioners- ers who were mainly technocrats brought in during Sanwo-Olu’s first term. This was where the face-off between the Legislature and the Executive became glaring.
Many of these technocrats, even though they held political positions for four years, never joined the party or related with the politicians and members of the House.
What’s more scandalous, they never registered as party members nor were they registered to vote at the election. Also, when queried, they do not know which ward they come from. They were alsoaccused of having collected over N50 million each to mobilize voters, but never did.
This, the legislators lamented applied to the most highly profiled members of the last cabinet who see themselves as untouchables.
Another contributory factor is that almost all those rejected “have no political base and no grassroots affiliation.” Most of them are friends of the governor.
For instance, former Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who was rejected, has no political base, he is not a politician.
The Assembly swept them aside because of this. For instance, if performance was the yardstick for the confirmation, there is no way Abayomi will be disqualified, there is no way Gbenga Omotoso will be rejected, there is no way Folasade Adefisayo will be rejected, there is no way Sam Egube will be turned down, yet they were all rejected because of their political naiveness.
Another factor that worked against some of the nominees not cleared is that they were never registered in Lagos and they moved up to another state to vote, yet they aspire to political positions in the Centre of Excellence.
The Assembly saw this as cheating on behalf of those who were around and took part in the election. Some of the Commissioner nominees did not perform well during the screening at the House of Assembly.For instance,the former Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure,Aramide Adeyoye,was said to have performed poorly during the screening.
The House embarrassed her while the screening lasted.
Aside from this, Adeyoye is said to be the architect of her misfortune. As the special adviser on Works and Infrastructure during the first term of Sanwo-Olu,she was supposed to report to the Deputy Governor,Dr. Kadri Hamzat. She was said to have bypassed him and reported directly to the governor. She only reported to the Deputy Governor after certain decisions had been taken.
This did not go down well with Hamzat, who is not happy about the development.
This made her case special and there was no way she could have scaled the screening as many forces were against her. Religious factor is another reason many nominees were dropped.
About 15 of those dropped by the Assembly are Christians.
Some Muslim groups had raised dust that of the 39 Sanwo-Olu nominees, only nine of them were Muslims.This might not be unconnected with why about 15 Christians were rejected by the Assembly.
Rebellion is in the air in Lagos, and it is threatening to derail the well-ordered system put in place by Tinubu.
That the people and politicians think differently is now widely accepted. Why they do so is another matter. One possible explanation is that in the time politicians spend plotting, the people are docile expecting miracles from nowhere. As the tension builds up, Lagos remains an exception to the rule in the political firmament of the country.
There is only one Nigerian for whom Lagosians, great and small will turn up en masse and on time, he is President Tinubu.
This is because he controls the levers of politics in the only self-reliant state government in the country – Lagos. In the political firmament of the state, he is the lone Iroko tree that makes a forest.
Today, Tinubu has moved up and on in the political ladders of the nation. Realizing this, he handed over the control of the political levers to Sanwo-Olu.
He invested the Governor with the title of leader and head of the powerful Governance Advisory Council. A committee of old but powerful political leaders in the state. If this did not go well with these leaders, no one can say, but if the unfolding face-off between the Governor and Speaker of the State Assembly is anything to go by, this is the beginning of a possible protracted battle the end of which nobody can determine.
Before now, issues such as these would have been handled by Tinubu, but with him becoming the president, and now focused on the nation’s governance, Sanwo-Oluu is now on his own.
How he handles it would determine a lot in the coming
