LG Polls: Femi Gbajabiamila’s Autocratic Style

Power, especially political power, is transient. Yet, it is also sweet. It seems the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has willfully chosen not to recognise the transient nature of power.

He has tasted its proverbial sweetness so much that he wants to continue to gorge himself on it. Obviously blindfolded by power, the Lagos State-born politician has reportedly aggressively been using his political clout to actualise his dream by building a strong structure.

It was gathered that Nigeria’s number four-man is capitalising on the forthcoming local government elections in Lagos State to strengthen his grip on power further.

A source revealed that the speaker, penultimate week, pressured aspirants vying for chairmanship and councillorship positions in Surulere local government area to step down for his protégés.

Gbajabiamila, who has been representing the local government in the House of Representatives in the last 18 years, handed down the orders at a meeting attended by a few aspirants and his loyalists on Tuesday at the Air Force Base, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island. An audio recording of the meeting had Gbajabiamila telling the aspirants that it was an “order from above.”

He said: “Leaders at the topmost echelon of the party, when the list (of aspirants) emerged, beckoned on me. They said, ‘Mr Speaker, nine aspirants are vying for the chairmanship position in your constituency, which is untoward.’

“We cannot be from the same family and not able to talk to ourselves. Stones are not used in purchasing party nomination forms. I did not know the aspirants have such money as to be able to purchase nomination forms in their numbers, and they would be saying there is no money.”
He added, “Though we know we are practising democracy, on the other hand, it is a shameful thing (to have aspirants in such numbers). It will turn friends into foes.

“It does not augur well to see nine chairmanship aspirants file out for the primaries because such a development portends unforeseen consequences. We must find how to streamline the number of aspirants. This is an order, and you all know where such an order is coming from. You all know that I have just one leader (Asiwaju Bola Tinubu). I don’t have two. And, this is the way to go.”

Gbajabiamila is said to be rooting for his longtime protégé, Sulaiman Bamidele Yussuf, for the chairmanship position. Like his political godfather, Yussuf has served in various administrations in Surulere LGA cumulatively for 18 years. He is currently the council vice-chairman, the same position he held in the previous dispensation.

Before becoming Vice Chairman, Yussuf was a councillor and supervisor respectively at different times. Under the auspices of ‘Awalokan’ (it’s our turn), Yussuf’s supporters expressed confidence he would dispense freely with public funds and offer them patronage. However, some chairmanship and councillorship aspirants have kicked against the speaker’s perceived “autocratic style.”
Similarly, councillorship aspirants were equally told to forgo their aspirations to allow the nine incumbent councillors to emerge consensus candidates for the July 24, 2021, local government polls. According to a source, Gbajabiamila allegedly promised an aspirant juicy appointments and contracts when he takes over from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2023.

However, in a swift response, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a press conference, denied the allegation of imposition. He warned that people should stop dropping his name for their political selfishness. This, it was further gathered, was a shocker to Gbajabiamila. Since then, he has reportedly become a laughing stock among his political rivals.