Alimosho APC: How Enilolobo, Others Hijack Party And Council Administration

Recently, Alimosho is bemoaned with vain narratives of saying, leadership, as presently constituted in Alimosho, has brought successes and development to the over 3 million residents who are mostly artisans and those who make their monies through their daily businesses. From time immemorial, Alimosho has been a leading figure in both political advancements and population in her ever-expanding communities which are, to her advantage in Lagos state, the affinity, compassion, and inter-religious relationship – these have been her greatest feat. Alimosho is a native land to every inhabitant, as we all co-exist with other tribes without cultural discrimination or segregation. There has been no record of tribal conflict or communal crisis in the ancient town of Alimosho.

The political class has, faultlessly been responsible for the administration of political affairs of this great mini-state, with structures well-placed to the comfort of everybody, since the inception of the 4th republic. Alimosho has pitched their tent politically with the Progressives party of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu since in 1999 till date. The 21-year journey began with the creation of Alliance for Democracy (AD) then to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and today, it has metamorphosed into the All Progressives Congress (APC) – under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with its series of transformation, the party has continued to govern the people with lots of developments and enormous infrastructures.

Sadly, the recent decline in those old successes and achievements are a pointer to the fact that there is a wide gap between the people and the Local Government, which is supposed to be the grassroots government and the closest to the people. To say the least, the rate and level of mismanagement of public funds and resources is highly embarrassing and beyond description – unfortunately, this is where the political class in Alimosho has continued to lead the community and its resident without remorse or shame.

The government of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu created 5 more LCDAs in order to have more rooted development, for ease of governance and to save time doing business in Alimosho. Alimosho Local Government Area gave birth to five more Local Council Development Areas, namely; Mosan-Okunola, Agbado-Okeodo, Ipaja- Ayobo, Egbe-Idimu. and Igando-Ikotun.

With well-constituted party structures, all these newly constituted Local Council Development Areas have their distinct party hierarchies. Alimosho has six-party Chairmen with their executives. Because of the connection with the mother Local Government Council, Alimosho, it was gentlemanly agreed that all the six-party Chairmen sit and play advisory roles to the Local Government and the LCDAs, as stated by the party constitution on how to manage resources and also ensure growth and development in Alimosho.

Suddenly, the old cordial love and bond within the party and the people evaporated - the people of Alimosho stopped fancying the party promises, as the infrastructural and social order began to decline at an alarming rate. The development that used to touch every part of Alimosho became lopsided and the political class began to question the cause for the sudden change in a bid to proffer solutions to the growing menace. After lots of findings, it was discovered that Alimosho has lost her political leadership and everything had stated going awry. The goodwill that Alimosho APC had previously enjoyed in the people of Alimosho rapidly depleted. Alimosho electorate that used to give massive turnout of votes during electioneering periods, which had made Alimosho to be identified as ‘Tinubu Country’, speedily and painfully dwindled.

All concerned and political conscious residents of Alimosho who participated in the politics of 1999 till around 2002 would remember those good old days with great nostalgia. Alimosho electoral capacity to deliver its promises at the grassroots level became abysmally low, judging from the most recent Presidential election result from Alimosho. It had greatly dropped from about 140,000 in 2003 to about 40,000. What a slide!

The sudden impunity, egoism, recklessness and disdain for party members, except those who can tolerate the new trend of ill-treatment, imposition and illegal orders, crass incompetence and cluelessness of our Local Government Chairmen is second to none. Council Chairmen have suddenly become subjective and answerable only to the orders of Alhaji Abdullahi Enilolobo and his gang of G18, as imposed on the party by Engr. Rauf Aregbesola. All founding fathers of the great party have been muted and others forced out of the party. It has never been this bad in the history of Alimosho politics with the gross inexperience and undercurrent style of Enilolobo leadership, as such has never been witnessed in the history of the party. As far as Alimosho politics is concerned, Enilolobo is its alpha and omega, as all decisions including council administration lie on his table. Council Chairmen only do as he dictates, as contrary opinions and actions would not be entertained.

The bold conspiracy against the collective will of the party is legendary. It is, therefore not surprising that the illegal leadership of Enilolobo and his gang of G-18 which has been exposed has resulted to sponsoring of lies, propaganda and all sort of invective and tirades on every concerned person who holds contrary views to their nefarious activities and maladministration. Abdullahi Enilolobo presides over how the Chairmen of the local government share or spend their allotted revenues. He orders and levies the respective Council Bosses of huge amount of money payable to him and his selected G-18 gang monthly and sometimes, periodically, as the case may be. At his personal discretion, he orders the constitutionally elected Council Chairmen on how to manage their respective Councils, and the party Chairmen, how to run the party. With the support of his G-18 group, he appoints accomplices to represent and protect his interest on all appointments that come to Alimosho.

Among many other numerous actions that are detrimental to the growth and development of the party, community and the neighborhoods are just a few:

•  Roads in Alimosho are in shambles, as they are adequately decorated by potholes and other deathtraps.

•  The deplorable state of local schools, except for a very few ones that were hurriedly renovated for cosmetic views, purposefully carried out to impress visiting officials from the Lagos State Government.

•  The wide crack created among party members, tagging the politically conscious members who question the ills within party as “I No Go Gree”, meaning the aggrieved.

•  Total abandonment of party members and residents of Alimosho in terms of welfarism.

Alimosho is going down very fast and it is high time Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other lovers of democracy in Nigeria preside over this degenerating development submerging our great party, the APC to curb a total loss of control that could result from the poor management from some clueless and self-centered leaders in the area. The domineering attitudes of Enilolobo should be checkedto forestall further damage.

The position of an Apex leader is alien to the party constitution. It is an affront to democracy and the rule of law. Why should Enilolobo who resides and casts his vote in Egbe-Idimu LCDA, extend his orders and dominate over activities in five other Local Government? As we say enough is enough, we urge Asiwaju to hearken our voice and look into this issue, as a matter that requires urgency.

Also, we urgently request that, to stop this electoral drift and infrastructural decay, Enilolobo and his G-18 gang to henceforth, desist from controlling the party and the party executives.

We would appreciate that every revenue committees of these Local Government be placed directly at the table of the respective Executive Chairmen.

Lastly, every Local Government within Alimosho should constitute an Elders’ Council who should play their advisory roles as stipulated by the APC Constitution.

Alimosho Liberation Movement