•Details Of Their Age Long Relationship
It is no longer news that Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Minister of Works & Housing is one of the top politicians from the South West whose names are being mentioned as possible candidates for the Presidency come 2023. From time to time, political analysts often mention his name. This is because of the soft spot President Mohammadu Buhari has for him. This is also because of his sterling performance as Minister and Governor when he was in Lagos State. Don’t forget that he was the only serving Minister with 3 portfolios.
All these singled him out as a favoured Minister.
This explains why whenever the issue of the 2023 presidency comes up, his name gets mentioned. But he has repeatedly denied any interest in the race. His agelong position has always been that if his former boss and political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu shows interest in the presidential race, he will not be part of it. City People gathered that BRF had at one time told all those who care to listen, privately, that he would not get himself into a race where he would now have to run against his boss, at the party primaries for the same ticket.
But the situation has become all the more complex because Tinubu has not told anyone whether he is running or not. It is only his body language that people read. Although, he has a political movement called SWAGA, all the leaders of the organisation have all revealed that Tinubu has not told them he is running. As for Fashola, he has been under intense pressure from all manner of groups to join the race, but mum is the word. He has been silent about it and he has refused to be quoted on the issue. But despite his silence, his name keeps popping up.
When Asiwaju was away in London for about 3 months on medical grounds, his name was mentioned as one of the Tinubu loyalists who didn’t go to London to visit him. This they termed as evidence of a possible fallout between the 2 personalities. The rumour was that Fashola may have drawn the battle line.
The rumour further deepened when Tinubu returned and Fashola was not one of those who met him at the Airport or visited his Bourdillon home. But things took an interesting dimension when a few days back, Fashola visited Tinubu in Abuja and spent quality time with his former boss and political leader.
During their discussions, Asiwaju thanked Fashola for his unalloyed support and explained what he has been up to politically.
Tinubu’s position has always been how to get the party leaders not to renege on their promise to get the power to go back to the South, now that the North has had power for 8 years. This is also one thing Fashola is passionate about. Recall that months back, he came out to talk about the need for the chieftains of the APC to honour the private arrangement reached years back concerning the zoning of the presidency in 2023 to the South.
According to the disclosure by some chieftains of the APC that before the 2015 elections, the party leaders had entered into an unwritten agreement on the zoning of the presidency.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola then indicated that there was a Gentleman’s Agreement on Zoning.
Other chieftains of the APC including the immediate past National Vice-Chairman (South-South), Hilliard Eta, and the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu supported the minister.
Recall that the Director-General of the Progressives Governor Forum, Dr Salihu Lukman, earlier on insisted that the party’s presidential ticket would be open to all members to compete for in 2023.
Lukman dismissed speculations making the rounds then that the party had agreed on a Zoning Arrangement.
He said, “The level playing field in the APC has been well conceived, nurtured, and now gaining more traction by the day. For instance, everybody could see that the place is open whether you call it with reference to 2023 or reference to any election. It’s about the fact that the spirit of political contest in the party is now very high. It means that if you want to negotiate, as a good negotiator if you want to canvass, as a good canvasser for a specific interest, the party is up to you.”
But Fashola said although the issue of zoning was more of a gentleman’s agreement in the APC, it behoved parties who entered into such an agreement to honour it.
He said, “First let’s talk about Law. Let’s talk about Agreements. The Law is the Constitution. The Constitution decides the age at which you can contest certain offices and there is nothing in the constitution that says zoning. All our political parties are like clubs where you write agreements just like a social club and we can decide that it is the youngest person who will be the chairman of the club or we can decide that it is the oldest person or the next female or the next male, that is the matter of agreement between people.
“But the constitution that sets up the climate of political parties formation does not prescribe Zoning. The truth is that what makes an agreement special is the honour in which it is made not whether it is written. If it was written there would be no court cases on a breach of contract because it’s a document that is written and signed that go to court. But the private agreement you make with your brother and sister cannot be breached. It must be honoured.
He explained that the best politics was one that would enhance good governance and impact positively on the lives of most, especially the vulnerable in society.
The APC chieftain said, “I belong to a party, APC and it is committed to good governance because I think the best politics is good governance. The beauty of it for me is the opportunity it gives to impact people’s lives. We have elections only once in four years but we have the responsibility to provide good governance every day and that’s the culture.”
While speaking on the chances of the APC to retain power in 2023, he said, “To retain power in 2023, certainly if we keep our promises. It is that simple. That’s politics. If you do what you said you will do even if you don’t do it 100 per cent and they see that you are making progress, they will even want you to finish something you started.”
Also, another founding member of the APC, who was the Bauchi State Secretary of the Action Congress, later Action Congress of Nigeria, Abdullahi Dauda, also explained that there was an agreement in principle.
Dauda explained that there was an understanding between party members that Power would rotate between the North and South when the party was formed.
He said, “While it is true that there is no written agreement, there was an understanding. It was based on this understanding that at least five out of the six states in the South-West ensured that President Muhammadu Buhari received block votes to win the presidential election first in 2015 and also in 2019.
“It is expected that by 2023 when Buhari completes his second four-year tenure, a candidate from the Southern part of Nigeria will succeed him, this is the only fair and just thing to do.”
Will the Minister of Works and Housing, bow to pressures? “It is not likely”, revealed a source close to him. “He has always made it clear that he would not be involved in any move that will make him confront his former boss.”
When ThisDay Newspaper asked him last September whether he has any interest in 2023, he didn’t make any categorical statements. All he said was that the Presidency is overrated. “There has been this single one-sided story. And this is one of the things I want to be addressing, as we go forward just to help Nigerians understand that the real deal is at the sub-national level”.
Whenever you ask his aides about the issue of Fashola’s political plans, they will tell you he does not want to be distracted. “Honestly speaking, the Honourable Minister is currently focused on delivering on his assignments as a Minister”.
When some posters surfaced in Abuja and Lagos in September, suggesting their he was to run with Borno Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum his Special Adviser on Communications, Hakeem Bello told the public to disregard the invitation of some groups, to the inauguration of a support group for Fashola & Borno Governor over the 2023 elections.
Babatunde Fashola served as the 13th Governor of Lagos State (from 2007 – 2015).
Thereafter, he was appointed Minister of Power, Works & Housing by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and Minister of Works & Housing in 2019. Fashola is one of the highly revered politicians in Nigeria whose contribution and effort to improving the state of the nation is laudable. He has served in different leadership capacities both at the state and national levels.
Babatunde Fashola was born on June 28, 1963 in Lagos, Nigeria. He began his education at the SunnyField Primary School, Adelabu, Surulere, Lagos. After, he attended Birch Freeman High School Lagos and Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos.
Thereafter, he earned a Bachelor of Law degree (LL.B) from the University of Benin in 1987. Then, proceeded to the Nigerian Law school and was called to bar the following year.
In November 1988, he was called to the Nigerian Bar as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He began as a litigator specialising in different areas at the Sofunde, Belgore and Co.
Because of his excellence in his career, he became the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2004. With this, he became the first member of the 1988 Law School to attain the position. And, the second University of Benin Faculty of Law graduate to receive the honour.
Currently, he is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the International Bar Association (IBA), a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), and Notary Public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Also, Babatunde Fashola is a patron of the Law Students Association of the University of Benin and, Institute of Arbitrators (CIA). Fashola got married to Dame Emmanuella Abimbola in 1993. They are blessed with two children, Ademola and Olayinka.
He was appointed Chief of Staff by the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2002. While serving there, he was a member of different boards and committees; State Tenders Board, Executive Council, Treasury Board, Security Council e.t.c.
Then, in 2007, he succeeded Tinubu as governor of Lagos State. At the end of his 2 term tenure as governor, Fashola was appointed a Minister by President Muhammadu Buhari. He was the Minister for Power, Works and Housing in November 2015. Subsequently, the Minister of Works and Housing in August 2019.
In April 2007, Fashola contested for the gubernatorial election under the Action Congress (Now All Progressive Congress) and emerged victoriously. He defeated candidates from other political parties like Musiliu Obanikoro and Jimi Agbaje of the PDP and DPA respectively. As a result, he began his tenure on May 29, 2019, succeeding Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Next, in 2011, he also contested under the All Progressive Congress and won. This time, he won against Ade Dosunmu and Olurotimi Olulana of PDP and LP respectively. Fashola led Lagos State from 2007 – 2015 and affected several developments especially in the areas of infrastructure. While governing, he was the Chairman of the Governor’s forum and a member of other committees of the federal government.
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