Opposition Cries Foul As Obasa’s Son Takes Over As LG Chairman

AbdulGaniyu Obasa, the son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has now become the chairman of Agege Local Government.

He took the position after the former chairman, Tunde Azeez, resigned because of health problems.

Azeez’s resignation was announced during a council meeting. Lawmakers thanked him for his work and prayed for his fast recovery. They also said his decision showed that leaders must take care of their health while still respecting the office they hold.

The council members then voted to make AbdulGaniyu the new chairman. He had been the vice chairman and had already been acting as chairman since July, when Azeez went on medical leave about one month after being sworn in.

However, the takeover has created different reactions in the political arena. Some people believe it was already planned. The opposition said it was a “carefully scripted succession” and claimed it was part of a political arrangement.

Ayo Oni, a former opposition party leader in Lagos State, said this situation proved their earlier concerns from the July 12 council election. “Everyone in Agege knew the speaker wanted his son as chairman,” Oni said. “When there was opposition within the APC, they replaced him with another candidate and made his son the vice chairman. Now, conveniently, the chairman is sick, and the speaker’s son has taken over.”

He also accused the electoral commission of not checking Azeez’s health before the election. Oni said, “the man presented as chairman was ill and couldn’t campaign.” He called the situation “a mockery of democracy” and said the ruling party had turned councils into “family estates.”

Leaders of the ruling party in Agege disagreed and defended the handover. Their legal adviser, Remi Bello, said Azeez followed the law, told the council about his illness, and handed authority to his deputy properly. “The chairman is recuperating, and his deputy is only acting temporarily,” Bello said. He added that since taking charge, the acting chairman had been doing well by “commissioning projects, employing street cleaners, and engaging community groups. There’s no cause for alarm.”

The opposition party said it would keep watching the situation. A former chairmanship hopeful, Awwal Tahir-Maude, noted that sickness can happen to anyone. “Anybody can fall ill, and someone must act in their absence. But if we observe anything questionable, we will raise it,” he said.
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