10 Tinubu’s political associates who once fell out with him, later reconciled (2)

This is the concluding part of Western Post’s report on 10 political associates of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who fell out with him, but later reconciled.

In case you missed the first part of the report, read it HERE

6. Dr Muiz Banire

Banire is one of Tinubu’s political associates who had a running battle with the APC National Leader. Very few people knew that Tinubu and Banire had crisis because it was not in the open as it was for some who angrily left the party since the days of Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress AC and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). In fact, political observers believed that Banire enjoyed and benefitted from the gap created by the conflict of others.

Banire, who was a three-term Commissioner in Lagos, was a member of the think-tank of the Tinubu political dynasty because of his high intellectual prowess and legal understanding of the political process. A politician who does not want his name mentioned, said because of Banire’s closeness to Tinubu, he was able to often have influence on what goes on in the Lagos State House of Assembly then to the level that he installed a deputy Speaker, Hon. Funmi Tejuosho, who was his protégé from Mushin local government. The source further said that without the support and backing of Banire, no aspirant could clinch the party’s ticket then.

The former APC legal adviser went to war with Tinubu, his benefactor in the late 2014 when Fashola was about to finish his second term. It was reliably gathered that Tinubu had promised Banire the number one seat in Lagos after Fashola’s tenure and that this had made him to remain loyal to Tinubu to the extent that he was perceived to be Tinubu’s mole in Fashola’s administration.

But when the political struggle began in earnest and Tinubu looked the other way and openly threw his weight behind Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, who was more or less a ‘dark horse’, Banire began to be hostile to anything within the party that had the touch of Tinubu to the extent that he began to fault policies and practices of the Lagos APC. For instance, Banire in a media interview in 2014, said the party may lose the 2015 governorship election because of the way and manner the party’s candidate emerged.

The Tinubu-Banire rivalry went on till 2017 when he (Banire) boldly flayed the party’s leadership over the process of the chairmanship and councillorship primaries and the idea of candidates’ imposition, which did not go down well with the party, a development that allegedly pitched him against Tinubu, who is also his (Banire) mentor in Lagos politics.

Despite serving the party as national legal adviser, this crisis nearly consumed him as the ward chapter of the Lagos APC in Mushin Local Government upheld the decision of its disciplinary committee, which recommended the suspension of Banire for a period of 10 years. The ward accused him of engaging in several anti-party activities and misappropriation of campaign materials and logistics.

But even as the ‘cold war’ was on, Banire did not contemplate dumping the party. This made his reconciliation with his mentor easier.

Reconciliation moves

The reconciliation of Tinubu and Banire was not in the know of anybody except those who are closed to the duo. The two politicians were not seen together until August 2021, when Banire visited his mentor (Tinubu) in London when Tinubu went for a kneel surgery. But a source close to Banire told Western Post that Tinubu had taken Banire for who he was and that he had no grudges with him anymore. The source further said the crisis between them was instigated by some leaders of the party in the state, specifically in Mushin because they were scared of Banire’s fast rising profile and also that they were threatened by the closeness of Banire to Tinubu.

His reconciliation with Tinubu has not changed anything for him politically, because his influence has been demystified in the dynasty and Mushin where he was holding sway.

7. Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon (GOS)

Solomon is a grassroots politician who has been in politics for more than three decades. He played a key role during the anti-military rule and struggle for the attainment of June 12. GOS as he is fondly called by his admirers had been in the Tinubu political family since his days as Chairman of Mushin Local Government till 2015 when he ran into trouble with Tinubu. Before then, when Tinubu was Governor of Lagos in 1999, GOS was not just a council chairman, but he was the most powerful Lagos council chairman at that time, whose contacts and influence cut across local governments in the state.

To show how strong and close he was to Tinubu, Tinubu was said to have handed over the Lagos West Senatorial District party ticket to him at a time he (Tinubu) wanted to go to the Senate after the expiry of his tenure in 2007.

However, their relationship became sour in 2015 when GOS not only showed interest in taking over from Fashola but went on a robust governorship campaign across the state. GOS lashed on contacts he had built over the years to constitute campaign groups in the 20 local governments and 37 LCDAs with his campaign office in the heart of the state, Awolowo Way in Ikeja.

He went on rampage when Tinubu endorsed Mr Akinwunmi Ambode as Fashola’s successor as he was alleged to have mobilised other aggrieved aspirants to call Tinubu’s bluff and called for open primaries. This was said to have angered Tinubu who kept a distance from GOS after the 2015 electoral process.

Reconciliation moves

Solomon like Banire is from Mushin local government and did not dump the party despite the political tension between him and Tinubu. He reconciled secretly with the APC national leader within a short time of their crisis. It was gathered that he lobbied some elders of the party who he knew had Tinubu’s ears on his behalf for forgiveness. One of those who were said to have begged Tinubu to forgive GOS, was late leader of Justice Forum (JF), Pa Muftau Olatunji Hamzat.

Since his return to the fold, GOS has never enjoyed much audience from Tinubu unlike before 2015, although, he is the apex leader of the party in Mushin.

8. Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji

Ikuforiji is another cerebral member of the Tinubu political family who not only enjoyed and benefitted immensely from his political mentor (Tinubu) as he was the longest serving state house of assembly speaker in Nigeria. Ikuforiji became Speaker in his first term in the Lagos State House of Assembly when Hon. Jokotola Pelumi was impeached in 2005. He was known to be the eye of Tinubu in the House during his reign for 10 years and also the face of contemporary politics in Epe Division.

Ikuforiji was said to have the backing of Tinubu in everything he did while in the House of Assembly until 2015 when he threw his hat into the ring to contest for Lagos governorship seat.

Like GOS, Ikuforiji with his contacts, using his lawmaker colleagues, reached out to party members at the grassroots.

It was gathered that Tinubu’s failure to support his governorship ambition angered him to the extent that he colluded with other aggrieved aspirants to defy the directive of the national leader and sought for party primaries. This further deepened the crisis between the duo.

Reconciliation moves

Ikuforiji secretly reconciled with his godfather and mentor quickly before the crisis escalates beyond control. It was learnt that some elders of the party including those in Epe Division reached out to Tinubu to forgive him and draw him (Ikuforiji) closer as a son.

As it is, Ikuforiji still retains his position as a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) but yet to get his feet in the Tinubu political dynasty.

9. Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF)

Minister of Works and Housing and former Governor of Lagos, Mr Babatunde Fashola, is known to be an egghead in the Tinubu political family. He served under Tinubu as Chief of Staff after Alhaji Lai Mohammed left in 2001 to prepare for the governorship race in Kwara State. Fashola enjoyed a robust relationship with Tinubu till 2011 before his re-election bid. His second term bid caused serious crisis between him and his godfather (Tinubu) which was later resolved by some party elders, including Tinubu’s mother, late Alhaja Abibat Mogaji.

Prior to 2015 general elections, the crisis resurfaced because Fashola wanted to install his close ally and Commissioner for Works, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, as his successor contrary to Tinubu’s choice. At that time, Tinubu rooted for Ambode who was allegedly forced to resign from the civil service due to official misconduct.

As expected, Fashola fought Tinubu to the last minute and at the end Tinubu was able to install Ambode as governor.

Reconciliation Moves

The two leaders were able to resolve their issues in late 2018 when they were not comfortable with the way and manner Ambode was running the affairs of the state and party. Although, Fashola and Tinubu initially had different choices for who would replace Ambode, but as the power struggle was going and Ambode was perceived to have upper hand to upstage the duo, they partially put aside their differences and worked together to stop Ambode’s re-election bid in 2019. Political observers argued that negotiation and permutation to stop Ambode at all cost played key role in resolving the war between Tinubu and Fashola in 2019.

10. Hon. Moshood Adegoke Salvador

Salvador represented Mushin federal constituency 1 in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). At this time, Tinubu was Governor of Lagos and they were very close politically because Salvador was part of those who first supported Tinubu’s governorship ambition in Mushin. Salvador played key roles mobilising voters for the emergence of Tinubu as governor in 1999. They were also both foundational members of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere.

Both of them parted ways when there was crisis in AD in late 2002, as Salvador pitched tent with the Afenifere leaders rather than his friend. In the April 2011 general elections, Salvador emerged the PDP Lagos West Senatorial candidate but lost to the AC. Ever since then, till when he returned to the Tinubu political family in 2018, he was always against the leadership style and governance of the Lagos APC.

Reconciliation moves

Salvador did both secret and open reconciliation with Tinubu when he was arrested and detained for his involvement in the killing of a chieftain of the PDP in 2018. In some quarters, it was believed that Tinubu helped Salvador out of the entanglement so as to join the APC. This speculation manifested when Salvador, after leaving the prison was quick to announce his defection to the APC publicly and with a funfair at Acme, Ikeja.

In his defection speech, Salvador thanked Tinubu, APC executives and other party members for the ceremonious reception for him and his supporters. He said he felt at home in the fold of the progressives, having been with Tinubu and others in the days of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

Currently, Salvador leads a group, The Conscience Forum, within the party. Despite his return to the Tinubu political family, it is not clear whether he has close rapport with Tinubu like before 2003.