TINUBU’S ALLIES DON’T WANT FASHOLA IN GOVERNMENT, LAOLU AKANDE ALLEGES
Read Time:2 Minute, 15 Second
By: Muftau Fatimo
Former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has alleged that some individuals close to President Bola Tinubu are opposed to the inclusion of former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, in the Federal Government because he would not tolerate certain practices within the administration.
Akande made the allegation during an interview on the Naija Unfiltered podcast, published by Symfoni TV on Friday.
He suggested that Fashola’s absence from the administration could partly be attributed to fatigue but maintained that opposition from individuals around the President was a more significant factor.
“I think the reason why Fashola is not in this government, two reasons. I think Fashola himself has a bit of fatigue, more importantly, I think there are people around the president who don’t want to see Fashola because Fashola is not going to tolerate many of those things that you are seeing around,” Akande said.
He described Fashola as a politician who stands by his principles and would not compromise to accommodate practices he considers unacceptable.
According to Akande, some individuals who wanted to engage in questionable activities might have preferred that Fashola remain outside the government.
“Whatever you say about Fashola, he doesn’t take nonsense, and the people who wanted to get some nonsense going, they didn’t want Fashola,” he added.
However, Akande did not identify the individuals he accused of opposing Fashola’s inclusion in the administration or provide specific evidence to substantiate the allegations.
Fashola served as Lagos State governor from 2007 to 2015 before joining the cabinet of former President Muhammadu Buhari. He served as Minister of Power, Works and Housing before later becoming Minister of Works and Housing.
He has not held a position in Tinubu’s administration since the President assumed office in May 2023.
Despite his absence from the Federal Government, Akande maintained that Fashola remained close to Tinubu, noting that there had been no major public disagreement between the two politicians.
“Even somebody like Fashola, who is still very close to the president, no problems openly,” he said.
Akande, however, suggested that the absence of an open disagreement did not necessarily rule out underlying issues between the political figures.
He also criticised what he described as the limited influence of capable individuals within Tinubu’s administration, arguing that the President could benefit from having people willing to challenge him when necessary.
The former presidential aide cited Fashola as an example of a politician he believed would stand his ground, while alleging that some people around Tinubu preferred not to have such individuals in government.
Akande’s claims have not been independently verified. Neither the Presidency nor Fashola has publicly responded to the allegations contained in the reported interview.
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