Posted by By Bolade Omonijo,Sina Babasola, Olasunkanmi Akoni & Bola Owolabi on
GOVERNOR Bola Tinubu of Lagos State, Sunday, ruled out any possibility of conducting new council election in the state following the truce reached by the mediating committee led by Prince Bola Ajibola
LAGOS - GOVERNOR Bola Tinubu of Lagos State, Sunday, ruled out any possibility of conducting new council election in the state following the truce reached by the mediating committee led by Prince Bola Ajibola which, he said, did not list new election as part of conditions, just as he declined to disclose the details of the meeting he had with President Olusegun Obasanjo at the weekend.
The governor's position was supported by a member of the committee, Chief Richard Akinjide who told Vanguard in Ibadan that, "conducting fresh elections into the old 20 local government councils of Lagos State is not part of our discussion. It is a political issue and we are not involved in any political issues.
"The issues of fresh election did not feature throughout our negotiation with the parties. What we did is in black and white and it was published two or three days ago.
"All we did was to ensure that the Federal Government releases the seized funds to the affected councils. So, we did not discuss the issue of conducting fresh election at all," he said.
However, the PDP Chairman in Lagos State, Alhaji Murtala Ashorobi has appealed for intervention by the Prince Bola Ajibola-led committee to resolve the fresh imbroglio. Alhaji Ashorobi maintained that the fund could not be released unless the state government holds fresh election to the 20-council strucrure.
Ashorobi said: "We appeal to the mediation committee headed by the respected Prince Bola Ajibola to intervene further and ensure that democratic structures in line with the existing laws of Nigeria at the third tier of government in Lagos State and the practical and legal way to do this is for the Lagos State government to conduct elections into the 20 local governments without delay."
Tinubu rejects call for fresh elections
Governor Tinubu who held a meeting with the President in Abuja on Saturday in a bid to save the deal made the clarification while speaking with newsmen at the passing out parade of 670 rejuvenated Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) against the backdrop of the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) insistence on new election over the latest development on the with-held council funds.
His words: "The mediation committee which was made up of leaders of South-West came together to intervene in the issue, the process of mediation resulted in a compromise, there was no electoral condition attached to the proposal so made.
The meeting of stakeholders took place last Tuesday. All concerned in the dispute cleared the document and the amendment brought to us which was in turn cleared by the state Attorney-General before we bent over backward and, out of respect for the eminent personalities, leaders , culture and in the interest of peace, acceded to a compromise."
He he described any other condition contrary to what is contained in the proposal as "garbage and hearsay".
When pressed further by newsmen to comment on his meeting with the president in Abuja; whether it had to do with council funds, the governor parried it, stating that he could not serve as mediator and governor at the same time. He declared that the state government was waiting for the mediation committee for result, adding that they should be discussing the matter with the president by now.
Tinubu stressed that the state had other options open to it but decided not to utilize them "because in politics you have to compromise."
Tinubu noted that the seizure of the council funds had affected virtually every sector of the state economy, including teachers, market women, marriages, groceries stores, children in school, hospitals, among others.
He stated that the peace meeting was facilitated by stakeholders and religious leaders who made several appeals on the need to shift ground. The religious leaders, according to the governor, included Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Church, former national President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr. Mbang, and the Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Lagos, Bishop Ademowo and the League of Imams.
Lagos PDP wants fresh polls
Following fresh deadlock in the negotiations to get the withheld Lagos local governments funds, the state branch of the Peoples Democratic Party has called on elders who brokered the deal that saw the state Assembly reverting to the 20 council structure to resume its mediation role.
State Chairman of the party, Alhaji Murtala Ashorobi who told newsmen over the weekend that the only condition for release of the fund is total dissolution of the 57 local government councils and the holding of fresh elections implored the Ajibola committee to prevail on the Lagos State government to conduct the elections without delay.
He however, conceded that the President could consider releasing one third of the fund if the state government shows a commitment to hold elections, with the balance paid only after democratic structures had been put in place in all the councils.