President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly, appointed his son, Seyi to oversee the upcoming local government elections in Lagos State. Seyi has been g
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly, appointed his son, Seyi to oversee the upcoming local government elections in Lagos State. Seyi has been given the mandate to personally vet the candidates on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC and handpick those who will eventually be sworn in as chairmen/chairwomen.
Although the elections would seemingly hold, it will be a charade as those that will be handpicked will eventually emerge winners from the election.
Before now, the Governance Advisory Council, GAC would have been responsible for vetting the candidates. GAC, the highest decision-making body in Lagos State as far as governance is concerned, is made up of top politicians in APC. They get consulted when it comes to major decisions like party positions. They are immensely powerful and influential and determine how Lagos State is run.
But since the controversy that plagued the ouster of reinstated speaker, Mudashiru Obasa and his now deputy, Mojisola Meranda,
Tinubu has since lost faith and trust in GAC, particularly over the way and manner they handled the situation which was almost going to consume the state house of assembly and the APC in the state in general. This prompted him to override their decision to insist on Meranda remaining the speaker and asked Obasa to return to his position as speaker.
Besides, with his ongoing rift with governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu reportedly linked to various concerns, including his association with Aisha Sulaiman-Achimugu who is currently being investigated for money laundering, who better to repose his trust than his son, Seyi who in recent times has shown that he wants to be fully, openly and directly part of his father’s presidency.
Seyi clearly wants to be more than just a president’s son. He wants to be at the front and centre of politics and government alongside his parents. He is also not content with the conventional approach of operating and wielding influence in the shadows, as some presidential children before him had done.
He has been a presidential spokesman, lashing out at critics of his father. He has been a goodwill ambassador, helping to build or mend bridges between his father and former heads of state and governors. He has been an envoy of peace, doling out ‘Ramadan baskets’ all across northern Nigeria and donations to victims of flood. He has reportedly influenced his father’s appointment of ministers and presidential advisers. Above all, Seyi wants a seat at the cabinet table to be part of it all at the Federal Executive Council.
With this new assignment, his dream of taking centre stage in politics in his father’s administration, may have just begun.
