Tinubu, Fashola disagree over Lagos cabinet

THERE is a serious disagreement between the Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola and his predecessor in office, Senator Bola Tinubu, over the list of nominees for commissioners and special advisers in the state, a source has said.

The source told the Nigerian Tribune that the list, which had since been forwarded to the state House of Assembly, could be rejected if Fashola eventually refused to bow to Tinubu’s control.

According to the source, Tinubu had disagreed with Fashola on the portfolio of some of the nominees, which Fashola would not like to change as directed by his predecessor.

The source spoke on the nominee for the position of Chief of Staff, adding that while Fashola had favoured a Lagos indigene, Tinubu had preferred a non-indigene.

The position had been occupied by Lagos indigenes in the last 12 years and it was so to serve as financial buffer for Lagos indigenes who always requested for financial assistance from the governor.

“Till last weekend, Tinubu was not happy with Fashola for sending the list to the state House of Assembly without concluding with him. The instruction from Tinubu now is that the lawmakers should reject the list, pending his approval,” the source said.

The source said Tinubu also contested the nomination of one Mrs Olukemi Pinhero, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to become the next Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state.

It was gathered that Fashola nominated the woman but it did not go down well with Tinubu, who also had a nominee for the position.

Besides the two positions, the Nigerian Tribune learnt that the position of the Secretary to the State Government was also in contention.

Meanwhile, fresh facts have emerged contradicting the rumoured rejection of the cabinet list by the leadership of the state House of Assembly, as it was set to commence screening this week.

Also, some leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state are reported to have met behind closed doors, on Monday and warned against moves by any politician to tinker with the list presented by the governor.

The leaders, who were irked by alleged desperation by some people to change the list, advised a former commissioner in the state (name withheld) to desist from mounting pressure on the national leader of the parrty, Senator Tinubu, to change the choice of a nominee.

A member of the House, who pleaded anonymity, said the responsibility of the legislature was not to reject names of nominees from the executive based on primordial sentiment, but to screen and approve or reject them on their merit.

After a meeting held at an undisclosed venue in Lagos, on Monday, one of the party leaders said it was their view that any attempt by anyone or group of persons to move against the list presented by the governor was a direct confrontation against the party leadership.

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