How Fashola-Tinubu rift was resolved, Oba Akiolu

LAGOS monarch, Oba Rilwan Akiolu again took the centre stage, yesterday, to comment on the Lagos politics. This time, he confirmed behind the scene conflicts between the state governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and his predecessor, Bola Tinubu.

Akiolu, who has a reputation of freely speaking his minds, said sycophants were behind the controversies between the two political heavy weights. The Oba, while speaking at the commemorative event of Fashola’s 2,900 Days in Office, said his intervention in the conflict, indeed, saved the party and prepared it for what it has become today.

The conflict in question was one of the worst kept secrets in Lagos political sphere and it dated back to Fashola’s bid for second-term. Speaking in Yoruba language to a packed audience yesterday, Akiolu said: “Let me tell you, I am not a party politician but I am a politician of Iga-Iduganran (Lagos palace domain). I am not afraid of anybody; I only fear God.

I am not even afraid of death but I am not going to die yet. “When there was a controversy, all the elders and monarchs throughout the federation started calling me to intervene. They told me, you worked in the police for 32 years.

Will you be looking at these your sons? Don’t ignore the two of them. “There are many sycophants in your party. The sycophants will go to my elder son (Tinubu) to instigate him against my younger son (Fashola).

The same people will go to my younger son and instigate him against my elder son. “But God will never be put to shame. So I called the two of them separately. I told them they have to listen to me and that if they refuse, I will hands off.

But to God be the glory, they listened to me,” he said. The monarch also confirmed the ploy by some individuals to wrestle the party from Tinubu. To this he said: “One of the elders in the party, he knows himself, called me aside and said I should leave him alone.

He said I should let them snatch the party away from him (Tinubu), since that was exactly what he did to Ganiyu Daudu and Jakande. I told him that is not good.”

Akiolu was, however, full of gratitude to Fashola for all his achievements in the last eight years. “On the day Bola Tinubu handed over power to Fashola, the Chief Imam prayed for him that respect and honour would never depart from him. He prayed that Tinubu would not suffer. We are happy today.

“Fashola in conjunction with his commissioners, as well as his wife and his entire household made us proud. They performed excellently. “I am happy today, Tunde (Fashola), the Lord will continue to be with you.

What remains now is to be praying for Ambode. “I have told him (Ambode) not to put vengeance in his mind. Don’t go there to avenge. I told him to forget the past and move on. There are people here today, who worked against him but we thank God, he emerged victorious,” he said.