The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has cautioned the newly sworn-in Chairman of Agege Local Government, Abdul-Ganiyu Obasa, against divisive tendencies, urging him to govern inclusively and focus on unity-driven grassroots development.
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Sanwo-Olu gave the advice on Monday during the swearing-in ceremony of Obasa and Toyin Adejimiwa, who was inaugurated as a Permanent Secretary, at Lagos House, Ikeja, the state capital.
Obasa, the son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, had been serving as acting chairman of the council prior to his confirmation and formal inauguration.
Addressing the officials, the governor described local government as the tier of administration closest to the people, stressing that leadership at that level must be visible, responsive and compassionate.
He urged the Agege council chairman to avoid actions or policies that could deepen divisions, emphasising the need for inclusive governance that prioritises measurable outcomes and delivers tangible benefits to residents.
Sanwo-Olu noted that discipline and performance remained the core benchmarks for leadership and career advancement within the Lagos State public service.
The governor also acknowledged the presence of retired permanent secretaries at the ceremony, describing them as exemplary public servants whose contributions and legacies continued to inspire the state’s civil service.
In November 2025, Vice Chairman Abdul-Ganiyu Vinod Obasa, son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, officially took over as chairman following the resignation of Hon. Tunde Azeez.
Azeez, who had gone on medical leave barely a month after his swearing-in on July 26, 2025, stepped down to undergo treatment for an undisclosed illness.
His decision paved the way for Obasa’s son, who had been serving in acting capacity, to assume full control of the council.
The media aide to the now former chairman, Rotimi Sulaiman, said his principal’s decision was guided by health concerns.
He explained, “Tunde Azeez has been long sick and his decision to resign and devote his attention to his health rather than being weighed down by the responsibility of that office is the wise decision any sane person should take.”
Sulaiman further praised Obasa’s leadership, saying, “The beneficiary of that excellent decision, Abdulganiyu Vinod Obasa is a visionary young man who in the last few months of Azeez’s absence has demonstrated uncommon capacity. I think Agege is lucky to have both guys.”
However, opposition parties have described the succession as a “carefully scripted succession,” arguing that the circumstances surrounding Azeez’s resignation and Obasa’s takeover suggest a prearranged political plan.
They recalled that the move to make Obasa’s son the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate during the July 12 local government election had been strongly resisted by some stakeholders.
Despite the criticisms, supporters insist that the transition was legitimate and necessitated by health realities, framing it as a case of duty passing from “a sick man who chose recovery over politics” to “a young leader prepared to serve.”
In May, SaharaReporters reported that the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for Agege and Orile-Agege issued a strong statement condemning what it describes as a “crisis of internal democracy” within the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the local level, pointing fingers at Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.
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