The vacuum created in the leadership of Ayobo-Ipaja Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, following demise of the chairman has been filled.  Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Thursday, appointed the Vice Chairman, Oladipupo Oluwoloni, to step in as substantive chairman of the council. Oluwaloni took the oath at a ceremony held in the Banquet Hall of the State House, Alausa.

The late chairman, Mrs. Bola Shobowale, died about two weeks ago, following a protracted battle with an illness. Sanwo-Olu, who extolled the late chairman’s leadership legacy, said Shobowale served residents of the council till her death, describing the deceased as “a woman of substance who served the people diligently.”

The governor, however, said Oluwaloni was appointed to fill the vacuum, urging the new chairman to sustain governance reforms initiated by his late predecessor. Sanwo-Olu said Oluwaloni’s appointment was a testament to the confidence reposed in him by political leaders and people to lead the council.

He said: “Today, we are witnessing the swearing-in of Hon. Oladipupo Oluwaloni as a new chairman of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA. This occasion is to fulfill the constitutional responsibility, which is to ensure that vacuum is not created by the demise of the former chairman, Mrs Bola Shobowale, who died recently. This statutory fulfillment will ensure governance continuity in the LCDA.”

The governor also urged Oluwaloni to form a strong bond with stakeholders in the council, including political leaders and grassroots support groups, to accelerate governance. 

Oluwaloni, who took the oath in company of his wife, pledged to consolidate on the legacy of his predecessor, noting that his administration would focus on infrastructural renewal to drive more socio-economic growth in the council.