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Here are Lagos’ longest surviving political office holders

Getting political power in our clime is certainly not an easy task. Many people can give their arms to get it. But there are many people today who have never been lucky to get it despite their struggle, while there are some who have been lucky to get it time and time again.

Here are the few politicos in Lagos State who have been blessed several times over with political power.

 

GOVERNOR RAUFU AREGBESOLA

Though is he presently in Osun State as the governor, he started his political sojourn in Lagos State and still remains a powerful influence in the state. He was Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure between 1999 and 2007.

He became the governor of Osun State in 2010 after a long drawn legal battle which started in 2007. He was re-elected the governor of the state in 2014.

 

BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA (SAN)

He began his political office holding in 2002 when he was appointed Chief of Staff to Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to replace Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who left to contest for the governorship seat of Kwara State.

He was Chief of Staff till 2007 when he was elected the governor of the state, a position he held till 2015.

He was again appointed the Minister of Work, Power and Housing in 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

PRINCESS ADEJOKE ORELOPE-ADEFULIRE 

She is another long surviving political office holder.

Prior to 1999, she was a member of Lagos House of Assembly in the moribund Third Republic. In 2000, she was appointed a commissioner in Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC). In 2003, she became the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, a position she held till 2011 when she was elected the Deputy Governor of Lagos State.

In 2015, she was appointed Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

 

ENGR GANIYU ABIODUN JOHNSON 

The immediate past Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure until his sudden resignation in January 2017 was also one of the longest surviving political officer holders in Lagos State. He was appointed Permanent Secretary (if you must know, permanent secretary is a political appointee) in 2000, a position he held till 2007.

In 2007, he was appointed Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Works and Infrastructure. This position lasted eight year (2015).

In 2015, he was appointed the substituting Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure. This he held will January 2017 when he was said to have resigned though the government till date did not announce his resignation.

 

TUNJI BELLO

A journalist and lawyer came into political office in 2003, when he was appointed Commissioner for Environment by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. In 2010, he was appointed the Managing Director of Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency. In 2011, he was returned as Commissioner for Environment by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).

In 2015, he was appointed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), a position he is presently holding in the cabinet of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

 

OLAJIDE IDRIS

He was practicing his medical profession in the United States of America when he was recalled by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and made a permanent secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Health from 1999 to 2007.

In 2007, he was appointed the Commissioner for Health, a position he is still holding till date.

 

SENATOR BAREEHU OLUGBEGA ASHAFA

The Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial district in the National Assembly has no doubt been a long survivor of political office holding. He was appointed Executive Secretary, Land Use, Allocation Committee by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in 2001.

In 2005, he was appointed Permanent Secretary in the same ministry. He resigned in 2011 to contest for the Lagos East Senatorial District seat which he won.

In 2015, he contested for the same seat and won.

 

HON. WASIU ESHINLOKUN-SANNI 

The Deputy Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly has paid his dues in political office holding. He was elected to Lagos House of Assembly in 1999-2005, representing Lagos Island Constituency 01.

Between 2005 and 2007, he was appointed Senior Special Assistant to Governor Tinubu on Legislative and Political Matters.

In January 2008, he was appointed the Secretary, Lagos State Microfinance Institution. Between October 2000 and October 2014, he was the Chairman Lagos Island Local Government.

He was appointed the State Secretary All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos Sate in 2014. In 2015, he was again elected member of Lagos House of Assembly, where he presently serving as the Deputy Speaker of the House.

 

ADEOLA RAHMAN IPAYE

The incumbent Chief of Staff to the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has also been in the corridors of power for sometime now.

He was in 2000 appointed Special Assistant to Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Legal Matters.

In 2007, he was appointed Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) on Taxation and Revenue, a position he held till 2011.

In 2011, he was appointed the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in Lagos State, a position he held till 2015.

In 2015, he was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as Deputy Chief of Staff and was seconded to the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

 

HON. YAKUBU ABIODUN BALOGUN 

He was a career civil servant until 1999 when he was appointed a permanent secretary by Governor Bola Tinubu. Again in 2006, Tinubu appointed him Head of Service, a position he held till 2010, when he resigned to contest for Lagos Island Federal Constituency seat at the House of Representatives. Since 2011, he has been a member of the National Assembly.

 

FOLORUNSHO FOLARIN COKER, a.k.a Folly Coker

Until his unceremonious exit from Ambode’s cabinet on October 2016, he was one of the longest surviving political office holders in the state. He started in 1999 as Personal Assistant to Governor Bola Tinubu. He later became his Deputy Chief of Staff.

In 2005, he was appointed the Managing Director of Lagos State Number Plate Production Authority, a position he held till 2014, when he was appointed Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) on Central Business District (CBD). In 2015, he was appointed Commissioner for Culture and Tourism by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

 

HON. OLAJIDE JIMOH

Member of House of Representatives, he is one of the few who has held one political office or the other since 1999.

He was a member of Lagos House of Assembly between 1999 and 2007, representing Lagos Mainland Constituency 1. Between 2008 and 2014, he was the chairman of Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

In 2015, he was elected to represent Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency seat at the House of Representatives, National Assembly.

 

HON. JOSEPH HONTOYON BAMGBOSE

A member of House of Representatives, representing Badagry Federal Constituency is another politician who has been lucky to survive one political office or the other since 1999.

He was a member of Lagos House of Assembly between 1999 and 2007, representing Badagry Constituency II.

Between 2008 and 2014, he was the chairman of Badagry West Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

In 2015, he was elected to represent Badagry Federal Constituency at House of Representatives, a position is presently holding.

 

HON. SAMUEL BABAUNDE ADEJARE

The Commissioner for Environment is another politician from the state whose political trajectory has been fascinating.

He started his own political career in 2003 when he was elected as a member of Lagos House of Assembly. He was again elected into the Assembly in 2007 to represent Agege Constituency II. In 2011, he was elected this time around into House of Representatives, to represent Agege Federal Constituency.

In 2015, he was appointed by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode as the Commissioner for Environment.

 

OLUSEYE OLADEJO

The Commissioner for Special Duties has been in the corridor of power and influence since 1999. He was the secretary to Local Government, Mushin between 1999 and 2003.

Between 2004 and 2007, he was elected the Chairman of the Mushin Local Government Council.

Since 2011, he has been a member of Lagos State Executive Council. He was Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in Governor Fashola’s cabinet of 2011 – 2015. Presently, he is the Commissioner for Special Duties.

 

AKINTOLA BENSON OKE

The Lagos State Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pension has been around for a while now.

He was the Senior Special Assistant to Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he was the Chairman Senate Committee of Appropriations, Finance and Banking.

When Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu became the governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, Dr. Akintola Benson Oke was with him as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) Media Relations.

In 2007, he was appointed Senior Special Assistant (SAA) Information and Strategy to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).

Between 2011 and 2015, he became the Special Adviser Policy, Politics and Law to the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In 2015, he was appointed Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pension by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

 

  • TOLANI ABATTI
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