Posted by By FEMI BABAFEMI on
Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has hit back at President Olusegun Obasanjo, accusing him of breeding stubbornness in the country.
Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has hit back at President Olusegun Obasanjo, accusing him of breeding stubbornness in the country.
While receiving in audience councillors from the 57 local government areas in the state Tuesday, the governor, who took time to respond to the statement of President Obasanjo accusing him of being stubborn, stated that "I took after him in term of stubbornness," adding: "The only difference between me and Mr President is that while everyone knows that my stubbornness is towards the preservation of the rule of law and fiscal federalism, we all know the direction of Mr President's."
Describing the visit of the councillors as "soul lifting," Tinubu said it was regrettable that President Obasanjo insisted last Sunday on a live television programme that he would not release the withheld local government funds for Lagos despite the Supreme Court's pronouncement on it.
He warned that the patience of the people of Lagos State was fast running out, adding that it was still honourable for President Obasanjo to respect the judgment of the court now.
The governor said that the PDP Federal Government should remember that it was the abuse of power that has always been responsible for the return of military to governance.
"Our constitutional democracy would not be determined by the level of intimidation and power in possession of a single individual," he added.
While foreclosing the possibility of reverting to 20 local councils, Tinubu assured the councillors that the new councils have come to stay.
"Ever since the powers that be decided to punish us, they disobeyed constituted authority by showing total disrespect for a Supreme Court judgment. The councils have come to stay, forward ever, backward never," the governor stressed.
He, however, expressed hope that the recent intervention by South-West delegates to the national confab would broker truce between the federal and Lagos government over the matter.