Sanwo-Olu’s Cabinet: Lagos Assembly rejects 17 nominees over religion, political controversy

LSHA fails to confirm Omotoso, Abayomi, Adefisayo, Adeyoye, six ex-cabinet members

Clears Wahab, Olusanya, Fasawe, Alebiousu-Bush, 18 others

In what appears to be a power tussle between the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and some political and religious gladiators on the proposed members of the State Executive Council, the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA), in an unprecedented move on Wednesday failed to confirm 17 out of the 39 nominees submitted by the Governor for the position of commissioners and Special Advisers in his cabinet.

The Assembly confirmed only 22 nominees, made up of 10 former cabinet members and 12 new names. Those confirmed are former public officers and politicians.

A look at the names of nominees announced by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, shows 10 members of the immediate past State Executive Council were disqualified. Also, those regarded as technocrats without a strong political tie to the grassroots were not confirmed.

Obasa announced the names of the confirmed nominees and those rejected by the legislative chamber after a special committee headed by Hon Mojeed Fatai briefed the House on the outcome of the screening exercise,

Investigations by AN24 revealed that 16 out of the 17 nominees not confirmed by the Lagos State House of Assembly are Christians, which may be a result of the outcry by the Muslim Community that there were more Christians than Muslims among the nominees. The list, which has 39 names is made up of 27 Christians and 12 Muslims.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Sanwo-Olu’s Cabinet: Lagos Assembly confirms 21 of 39 nominees, fails to confirm Omotoso, Abayomi, Adefisayo, Adeyooye, 11 others

It would be recalled that there was an outcry by the Muslim Community shortly after Governor Sanwo-Olu released the list of the nominees last month and Islamic leaders in Lagos State organised a press conference to reject the list on account of poor representation of Muslims. They also embarked on a protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly to express their grievances on the cabinet list.

Apart from the rejection of the cabinet list by the Muslim Community, some political gladiators in the State, particularly chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and serving members of the Lagos House of Assembly, also kicked against the cabinet list, claiming that it does not have political spread across the local governments in the State.

Some APC chieftains and members expressed their displeasure against the high number of technocrats on the list, claiming that the politicians who worked for the victory of Governor Sanwo-Olu and other APC candidates at the federal and state levels during the last general elections were neglected by the Governor.

Therefore, in what seems to be the outcome of the power tussle between Governor Sanwo-Olu and some political and religious power blocs in the State over the cabinet list, the Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday failed to confirm the nomination of 10 members of the immediate past State Executive Council. They also refused to confirm those regarded as technocrats, the majority of whom are Christians despite their Sterling performances in the first term.

Those not confirmed are the immediate past Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso as well as nine of his former colleagues – Folashade Adefisayo (Education), Olalere Odusote (Energy), Bolaji Dada (Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation), Akin Abayomi (Health), Sam Egube (Budget and Economic Planning), former Special Advisers to the Governor, Engr Aramide Adeyoye (Works and Infrastructure), Mrs. Solape Hammond (SDG and Innovation), Rotimi Fashola (Agriculture) and Mosopefoluwa George (Public-Private Partnership, PPP).

Others who were not confirmed by the Lagos Assembly are Mr. Yomi Oluyomi, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose, Ms. Barakat Bakare, Mr. Olalekan Fatodu, Mr. Seun Osiyemi, Mr. Rotimi Ogunwuyi and Dr. Olumide Oluyinka.

According to Obasa, only 10 out of the 20 former cabinet members who served with Governor Sanwo-Olu during his first term were confirmed by the Lagos Assembly to return to the State Executive Council.

Those returned are former Commissioners for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya and his counterpart in Housing, Moruf Fatai. Others are former Special Advisers to the Governor, Tokunbo Wahab (Education), Tunbosun Alake (Innovation and Technology), Gbenga Oyerinde (Central Business District), Toke Benson-Awoyinka (Housing), Bolaji Roberts (Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs), Abiola Olowu (Commerce and Industry) Afolabi Ayantayo (Parastatals Monitoring Office) and Mobolaji Ogunlende (Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations).

Other nominees cleared by the Lagos State House of Assembly are former Lagos State Solicitor-General, Lawal Pedro; former Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dayo Alebiosu-Bush (SAN), General Manager of Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Dr. Dolapo Fasawe; former Member of LSHA, Hon. Ibrahim Layode; the immediate past Senior Special Assistant to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Health, Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih-Awokoya, and ex-Organising Secretary (Youth) of Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Idris Aregbe.

Bola Olumegbon, Adekunle Olayinka, Jide Babatunde, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, Rotimi Ogunwuyi and Olakunle Rotimi Akodu were also confirmed.

Obasa who said the lawmakers would continue to do their oversight function, adjourned the House sitting till Monday, August 28.

Below is the full list of those confirmed and not confirmed by the Lagos State House of Assembly

Those confirmed

1. Hon. Layode Ibrahim
2. Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende
3. Dr. Dolapo Fasawe
4. Hon. Bola Olumegbon
5. Mr. Idris Aregbe
6. Ms. Abisola Ruth Olusanya
7. Mr. Moruf Akinderu Fatai
8. Mr. Kayode Bolaji-Roberts
9. Engr. Abiola Olowu
10. Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka
11. Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih- Awokoya
12. Mr. Yakub Adedayo Alebiosu
13. Mr. Lawal Pedro SAN
14. Mr. Tunbosun Alake
15. Mr. Gbenga Oyerinde
16. Dr. Adekunle Olayinka
17. Dr. Jide Babatunde
18. Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo
19. Mr. Tokunbo Wahab
20. Mr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu
21. Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun
22. Mr. Abdulkabir Ogungbo

Those not confirmed by the House

1. Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo
2. Prof. Akin Abayomi
3. Mr. Yomi Oluyomi
4. Mrs. Folashade Ambrose
5. Ms. Barakat Bakare
6. Mr. Gbenga Omotosho
7. Engr. Olalere Odusote;
8. Dr. Rotimi Fashola
9. Mrs. Bolaji Cecilia Dada
10. Mr. Sam Egube;
11. Mr. Olalekan Fatodu
12. Mrs. Solape Hammond
13. Mr. Mosopefolu George
14. Engr. Aramide Adeyoye
15. Mr. Seun Osiyemi
16. Mr Rotimi Ogunwuyi
17. Dr. Olumide Oluyinka.