‘ Harassment, Forceful Eviction Of Tejuosho’s Family  Another Vendetta Targeted At Banire’

Ambode and Banire

A highly placed chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos who requested not to be named has provided more insight and political intrigues into the forceful eviction of the former Deputy Speaker of Lagos State Assembly, Hon. Funmi Tejuosho from her house.

According to the APC Chieftain, it was obvious that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the establishment in Lagos were not at peace with the strong and unflinching support Hon Tejuosho gave the national legal adviser, Dr Muiz Banire, SAN during the crusade for the adherence to internal democracy in the build up to the local government election.

Tejusosho, a lawmaker representing Mushin Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly is a known political ally of Banire.

It was gathered that the powers that be in Lagos were miffed that Tejuosho, a woman can withstand exclusion, persecution in the house for the sake of Banire while a former Personal Assistant to Banire, Hon Olayiwola Olawale, who represents Mushin Constituency 2 in the Assembly could disown his former boss when the pressure became intense.

It will be recalled that Banire dared the Lagos APC establishment over his insistence that the party must adhere to the Article 20 of the APC Constitution 2014 as amended which mandates primaries for all aspirants into elective offices.

A Banire Must Go protest allegedly financed by the Lagos State Government was staged at the party secretarial, ACME and Governor’s office in Alausa. Governor Ambode’s Chief Press Secretary, Habib Haruna issued and signed press statement for the protesters.

They later announced his suspension from the party, a move that the national APC described as illegal and ridiculous stressing that a local chapter cannot remove nor suspend a serving national officer of the party.

The source said, “I dont know why people take pleasure in spreading falsehood. It is only someone who is naive that would not know that this is all political.  Everybody knows that Hon. Funmi Tejuosho is a strong political ally of Dr (Banire).

“So, they are targeting Banire and not Tejuosho perse. Governor Ambode wants to clampdown on the support base and interests of Banire ahead of the 2019 Governorship election in Lagos”

“ I reliable gathered from those in Alausa that the governor was acting on the rumour and speculation that Dr Banire would be used to unseat him as governor in 2019. Hence, the overdrive to whittle him down by all conceivable means.

“My brother, you see as journalist you should understand the antics of fifth columnists and mischievous characters. They first flew the kite that the government set up a panel to review sales of government properties which were considered sold below market value.

A primary school pupil will know that there was a transaction and not a case of someone not vacating an official quarter. So, if Ambode government is not up to something evil, why would they invade the  residence of the lawmaker while she is away in Brussel for an assignment commissioned by the state.

“Again, Hon Funmi Tejuosho and her husband built this building contrary to the puerile lies of the state government that she moved into an official residence. Please, find time to go to the area. The house that was on that piece of land was the old colonial building like the ones you will notice by the right before getting to 3a, Sasogbon Street.

“How come a building built by a family suddenly becomes an official residence of the deputy speaker? This is preposterous to say the least. The desperation of the state government to clampdown on perceived political enemies is disturbing.

“ The government hurriedly erected a signboard at the entrance of the building today which reads, “This building is the official residence of Lagos State Deputy Speaker”. No valid court order, just use of force and intimidation.

“As a matter of fact under the Lagos State law, you cannot even evict a squatter without recourse to the law. You must take a squatter to the court and only the court can order such eviction. So, what is the argument of the state government? Are they executing an order of a court or they are engaging in self help?

“Even General Sani Abacha junta with its despotic notoriety never engaged in this kind of dastard act. How could you locked out children of a serving lawmaker in the house for 4 days and started demolishing a property while the owners are away….

“For the records, the first two deputy speakers were Farouk Oshodi and Toun Adediran. They never lived there. The two after her were Bola Badmus and Kolawole Taiwo, none of them lived there. When suddenly did it become Deputy Speaker’s official residence?”