Lawmakers Drop 17 Nominees From Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s List
By Trek Africa Newspaper
In a bid to address controversies that had trailed names of Commissioner and Special Advisers nominated and presented before the Lagos State House of Assembly by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the lawmakers have dropped no fewer than 17 among the over 30 nominees picked as cabinet members for second term of the administration.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers confirmed 22 nominees on Wednesday before adjourning their seating to Monday, August 28.
The lawmakers dropped the nominees during plenary session that was chaired by Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, who read names of each nominee one after the other.
While Obasa read the names to the other 39 lawmakers, they voted either in support or against the nominees, the process which determined fate of the 17 commissioner and Special Advisers picked by the governor to serve as cabinet members.
Reasons the lawmakers dropped the nominees were not made known but sources said that the House was not happy with the selection process adopted by the governor.
The source added that the governor, rather than favour politicians, who were also experts in different fields, that work for the All Progressives Congress (APC) victory during the 2023 general election, Sanwo-Olu decided to favour his friends at the expense of core party members.
Aside from that, there were also claim from Lagos indigenes that there was lopsidedness in the appointment with atleast 12 of the nominees picked from Eti-Osa Local Governments, which some APC members kicked against considering that the council did not provide the vote that ended the Labour Party aspirations in Lagos during the election.
Another source disclosed that the they were dropped after the lawmakers discovered that Sanwo-Olu was not fair Muslims which resulted in the clerics protesting openly over alleged injustice from Sanwo-Olu after promising clerics from the religious group of picking more Muslims than his first term.
Among those dropped by the lawmakers during plenary session were the former commissioner for health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, Solape Hammond, who was special adviser to the governor Sustainable Development Goals during first term, and her colleague, former commissioner for Budget and economic planning, Sam Egube.
Also dropped were.former Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dada Cecilia, her colleague ex-Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, and former Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Aramide Adeyoye.
Others were: former commissioner for education; Folashade Adefisayo, her colleague in Energy ministry, Olalere Odusote, and Yomi Oluyomi, Folashade Ambrose and Barakat Bakare.
Also dropped were: Dr. Rotimi Fashola, Olalekan Fatodu, Mosopefolu George, Seun Osiyemi, Rotimi Ogunwuyi and Dr. Olumide Oluyinka.
Those confirmed include: a former.lawmaker representing Badagry, Layode Ibrahim, Mobolaji Ogunlende, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, Bola Olumegbon, Idris Aregbe,. Abisola, Olusanya, Moruf Akinderu Fatai and Kayode Bolaji-Roberts.
Others were: Abiola Olowu, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih- Awokoya, a former House of Representatives member, Adedayo Alebiosu, a former Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Lawal Pedro, a former Special Adviser on science and technology, Tunbosun Alake, Gbenga Oyerinde, Dr. Adekunle Olayinka, Dr. Jide Babatunde, Afolabi Ayantayo, a former Special Adviser on education, Tokunbo Wahab, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, Jamiu Alli-Balogun and Abdulkabir Ogungbo
Earlier, Obasa commended the committee for its effectiveness and urged the confirmed nominees to always remember that they are in office to serve the people of the State and not individuals.
He also promised that the House would continue to do its best in the interest of the State.
Before the exercise, the chairman of the screening committee, Mojeed Fatai, briefed the House on the outcome of the screening exercise, disclosing that all nominees were drilled to ensure their readiness for the task ahead.mi
