Why Obasa was a monster of Tinubu’s creation

By Samuel Ajayi

When Tinubu was governor of Lagos State, he had the state House of Assembly in his pocket.

In fact, immediately he escaped, by the skin of his teeth, from being impeached over certificate scandal in late 1999 to early 2000, the first thing Tinubu did was to effectively pocket the House.

But what did he do when he was about leaving office?

He took the finance of the House to the First Schedule. What does this mean?

Releasing funds to the House of Assembly would not be needing any succeeding governor’s assent/approval.

The Assembly can access their money directly and be self accounting.

This arrangement was apart from the almost criminal pension scheme for former governors and deputy governors.

Why did Tinubu do this?

He wanted to be in total control of the Executive and Legislative Arms of the government of Lagos State as the de facto political godfather of Lagos.

That is why Lagos is arguably the only state where successive governors after Tinubu don’t have a say or input in whoever emerges as the speaker.

They even hardly pick their commissioners.

And he has also always ensured that no politician of any structure, no matter how small, has ever emerged as governor of Lagos State after him.

Lagos State is also the only state that runs ‘collegiate governorship’ with the queer arrangement called Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC.

This body can override the governor; albeit not publicly though.

Adeyemi Ikuforiji was Speaker and for trying to assert himself, he was booted out.

Mudashiru Obasa came in and initially started playing the game well and also “oiling Bourdillon’s political machine” (if you understand what that means) and remains the good boy.

He was running Agege and Alimosho Local Governments like personal fiefdom.

Above all, he has access to what, on the streets, they call ‘bastard money’.

As Yorubas would say, “Owo yi po”.

He is also member of Mandate Group, Tinubu’s original political machinery in Lagos State.

The arrangement of House being self-accounting allows members to have access to so much money.

Check for any Lagos State House of Assembly member in your area who is not very rich and acquiring properties up and down.

Then Obasa forgot the timeless lessons in that book, Robert Green’s 48 Laws of Power.

He became heady, power-drunk and rude.

Governor SanwoOlu meant nothing to him. In fact, he saw him more like an errand boy because to him, he had Tinubu’s ears.

Or so he thought.

I am happy, like many people, that this charlatan’s wings have been clipped.

But he did not just happen to Lagos. He was enabled by Tinubu.