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Lagos 2023: Former Commissioner’s appointment terminated after declaring guber ambition

 

Wale Elegbede

The appointment of Hon Abdulhakeem Abdullateef as Special Adviser to the Speaker on the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has been terminated just hours after he declared his ambition to succeed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2023.
Abdullateef, a former Commissioner for Home Affairs during the administration of former governor Akinwunmi Ambode, on Tuesday launched his Iyepe Political Movement meant to be the platform on which his governorship will run.
Speaking during his official declaration at Ostra Hall, Central Business District (CBD), Alausa, Ikeja, Abdullateef, who was also former Amir Hajj of Lagos, said that his intention to contest was also a response to call by Lagosians who had been following his trajectory in public offices and found him worthy of leading the state to prosperous and enviable heights.
However, in a letter terminating his appointment and signed by the Chief of Staff to the Speaker, Hon. Dayo Saka Fafunmi, dated Tuesday, September 29, the Speaker said the termination was necessary to prevent a ‘conflict of interest’.
The letter reads: “Sequel to the recent development and your expression of interest to contest election as the Governor of Lagos State, I am directed to inform you that your appointment as the Special Adviser to the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Islamic Religion is hereby terminated.
“This has become necessary to prevent conflict of interests between your assigned obligations and your ambition.
“Furthermore, your aspired office is currently occupied by our amiable performing governor and of which your action is capable of causing distraction, disharmony and dissatisfaction between the two arms of government that enjoy smooth working relationship.”
Launching the movement earlier, Abdullateef, who did not indicate the political party he would be contesting under, stressed that with support from the people, his movement would deliver on promises of taking Lagos to greater heights.
The former lawmaker said: “It is a movement where the masses would come out and say enough is enough, and when that happens, it means the vote will count. The old style of politics would soon expire and it will no longer be business as usual. So, with your support, we will replace incompetency with competent hands.
“it is only where votes count that there will be development. The reason we are poor is because our votes do not count. If votes count, our leaders would be responsible, they will automatically be accountable. But in the absence of that, the result is what we are witnessing now, underdevelopment everywhere which is what has led to political apathy and that is what they want, but we won’t allow that.
“The movement is meant to raise political awareness. There is apathy in the country and not so many people are involved in voting these days.
“We are not talking about party alignment yet because this is still a movement and we should talk about the vision now, later we can talk about the platform. We are not afraid to talk about platform as you have seen during my speech praising Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for what he has done for me and that tells you that. Who even knows that by 2023 there would be anything called APC or something called PDP? Nobody knows and the political process is evolving and it is when we get there that we will cross the bridge.”

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