A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has accused the Governor of Lagos State of abandoning governance after the emergence of Bola Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress.
He said this in a statement on Saturday titled, ‘Sanwo-Olu and governance in recess’.
The PUNCH had reported that Tinubu won the APC’s presidential ticket after polling 1,271 votes to defeat his closest rivals, ex-minister Rotimi Amaechi and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Adegboruwa, who was one of the members of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS-Related Abuses, warned the governor on spending the state’s resources on Tinubu’s campaign.
“Since the declaration of the presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Babajide Sanwoolu has abandoned governance in Lagos State.
“He is the unofficial campaign manager of Tinubu, his media strategist and personal anchorman. The Governor has hardly been in office.
“It was the Governor that declared the ban on motorbikes but he is not on the ground to monitor the daily crisis occasioned by the declaration, though commendable but needs careful enforcement.
“The rainy season in Lagos is always a bitter experience for Lagosians in flooding, heavy traffic and other casualties, but the Governor has not been on his seat to address issues related to this. Crime has been on the increase in Lagos lately.
“No doubt state resources will be involved in these campaign activities and most government officials will cash in on the absence of the Governor to also abandon their responsibilities, either to pursue their political other business interests.
“There are many more grave consequences attendant upon the decision of the Governor to abdicate his constitutional responsibilities in pursuit of the political ambition of the APC presidential flag bearer.
“From all the foregoing, I do hereby appeal to Governor Sanwoolu to return to Lagos and assume his constitutional responsibilities of functional governance. His Excellency was not elected as Campaign Manager of politicians but as an administrator.”
While Amaechi polled 316 votes, Osinbajo scored 235 votes to emerge second and third respectively in the primary.
He contested against thirteen other aspirants – Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Mr Ahmed Rufai, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Mr Jack Rich, Governor Ben Ayade, Governor David Umahi, Senator Ahmed Yarima, Dr Ahmed Lawan, Osinbajo, Amaechi, Governor Yahaya Bello and Mr Ogbonnaya Onu.
Nine aspirants had earlier stepped down, eight of whom asked their supporters to vote for Tinubu, while one asked his supporters to vote for Osinbajo.
Those who stepped down before voting began are Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Robert Boroffice, Ken Nnamani, Ibikunle Amosun, Dimeji Bankole, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi and Godswill Akpabio.
They asked their supporters to vote for Tinubu, just as the only female aspirant, Mrs Uju Ken-Ohanenye, followed suit.
Pastor Felix Nicholas, the United States of America-based aspirant also stepped down and asked his supporters to vote for Osinbajo.
A candidate, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, immediate past Minister of State for Education, was conspicuously absent at the convention.
END
Governor Sanwo-Olu is only trying to protect his pot of soup. He who pays the piper will always dictate the tune. He knows that his boss Bola Ahmed Tinubu call the shots in Lagos as far as governance is concern. And he’s not ready to change the narrative of the shenanigans in the state of aquatic splendour.