Lagos speaker’s son takes over Agege LG as elected Chairman resigns
Political developments have taken a new turn at Agege Local Government Council of Lagos State, following the resignation of the council’s ailing Chairman, Hon. Tunde Azeez.
His resignation has cleared the way for Ganiyu Obasa, the Vice-Chairman and son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, to officially assume office as the new Chairman.
The development comes after weeks of speculation and criticism from opposition parties, who described the transition as a carefully scripted succession.
Obasa had been acting as Chairman almost immediately after Azeez was sworn in on July 26, having taken over duties when the Chairman proceeded on medical leave barely a month into his tenure.
Opposition leaders allege that the development confirms their earlier suspicions of a premeditated political arrangement within the All Progressives Congress, APC. They argue that the situation reflects a deliberate plan to install the younger Obasa in power through indirect means.
It will be recalled that during the July 12, local government elections, Obasa’s candidacy as the APC flag bearer faced strong opposition from several stakeholders in Agege. The pushback led to the nomination of Hon. Tunde Azeez as the Chairman candidate, while Obasa was selected as his running mate for the Vice-Chairmanship position.
However, shortly after assuming office, Azeez, who was absent during much of the campaign period, formally requested a medical leave in a letter addressed to the legislative council.
Opposition members have since argued that appointing Obasa as Vice-Chairman was a calculated move designed to ensure a smooth succession should the Chairman become unable to serve.
Following his resignation, Azeez’s media aide, Rotimi Sulaiman, confirmed that his principal stepped down purely on health grounds.
He stated, “Hon. 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.
“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.”
