How Sanwo-Olu, Obasa, GAC Resolve Cabinet Controversy

Governor to present new nominees to Lagos Assembly

The controversy that trailed the disqualification of 17 nominees of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s proposed cabinet by the Lagos State House of Assembly has been resolved by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Lagos State.

AN24 gathered from reliable sources that the issue was resolved during a meeting of the Governor’s Advisory Governance (GAC), the apex leadership body of the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC), held at Lagos House Marina on Wednesday afternoon.

The meeting was attended by Governor Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, who were both members of GAC.

An investigation by AN24 revealed that before the GAC meeting, Governor Sanwo-Olu and Obasa had a close-door meeting for over one hour where both of them discussed exclusively how to resolve the fall-out of the rejection of 17 nominees by the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The meeting was an avenue for Obasa to brief Governor Sanwo-Olu on the results of the screening and findings of the House of Assembly on the 39 nominees the Governor sent to the Assembly.

It would be recalled that the Lagos House of Assembly last Wednesday confirmed 22 nominees and rejected 17 nominees over what many people attributed to a power tussle between the executive and the legislature due to the high numbers of technocrats and Christians on the cabinet list.

To resolve the issue, an emergency GAC meeting was convened on Wednesday at Lagos House, Marina.

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The meeting was attended by over 80 percent of GAC members, including the GAC Leader, Prince Tajudeen Olusi; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, members of the National Assembly, Senators Tokunbo Abiru and Oluranti Adebule; former deputy governors, Otunba Femi Pedro, Princess Adejoke Adefulire-Orelope and Princess Sarah and former members of National Assembly, Senators Anthony Adefuye, Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, Musiliu Obanikoro and Adeseye Ogunlewe.

Others are immediate past Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji; APC chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, his predecessors, Otunba Henry Ajomale and Tunde Balogun. The meeting was also attended by Chief Olorunfunmi Bashorun, Mr. Mutiu Are, Otunba Busurat Alebiosu, Chief Rabiu Oluwa, Dr. Abayomi Finnih and Cardinal James Odumbaku, among others.

AN24 gathered that during the GAC meeting, a lot of options were recommended by the party leaders to resolve the issue between Governor Sanwo-Olu and the legislative, as well as politicians and Muslim leaders over the proposed cabinet members.

It was resolved during the meeting that the Governor should send another list of nominees to the Lagos State House of Assembly but should address the issues of political and religious representation, which were major reasons why the Assembly rejected 17 nominees.

Among the options put before the Governor is for him to reduce the number of technocrats among the new nominees he will send to the Assembly.

AN24 gathered that barring any last-minute change more than 40 percent of the rejected 17 nominees will not make the new list. They will be screened out based on political and religious considerations as more politicians and Muslims would be included in the list.

Following the outcome of the meeting, Governor Sanwo-Olu is expected to consult with some party leaders, especially those local government areas that were not included among the 22 nominees confirmed last Wednesday to take care of their interest in the list of new nominees to be sent to the Lagos State House of Assembly.

It’s very likely that names of the new nominees will be received by the House on Friday or early next week for screening and confirmation. And after their confirmation, Governor Sanwo-Olu will swear in members of his cabinet before the end of September.