Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos has disclosed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was after his life and that of former Governor Bola Tinubu during the crisis caused by the creation of 37 Local Council Development Areas in Lagos state.
Asiwaju Tinubu had during his tenure as governor created the 37 LCDAs out of the existing 20 Local Government Areas and insisted that the state House of Assembly sign it into the law and follow due process, while the Obasanjo-led Federal Government saw it as a spite on the ex-President’s authority.
Oba Akiolu, who warned all 57 council chairmen in the state not to let the state down by being redundant, said the former President did everything he could to get rid of him for supporting Tinubu, whom he called his favourite son.
He alleged that he and Tinubu were saved by God during this period as Obasanjo’s plan when he couldn’t stop the creation of more local government areas in the state was to get rid of him.
Oba Akiolu, who spoke at the Seventh Assembly First Consultative Roundtable and Policy Retreat for Local Government Officials, alleged that: “Obasanjo went the extra mile to ensure that Tinubu and myself got killed but it is only God that saved us.
“I received a lot of threats and blackmail from the Obasanjo administration because of my disposition towards the creation of those LCDAs.
“The creation of more local government areas in Lagos was stopped by the Obasanjo administration, even though he knew the importance of additional local governments in the state considering the influx of people into the state.”
He also criticised those who called him a politician because of his support for the government of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), saying they make such statement because they do not love good things.
He maintained that he would continue to support anybody who wishes Lagos well and works to see that Lagos State attains the best, irrespective of where the person comes from.
Source: http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/02/28/obasanjo-wanted-me-tinubu-dead-over-lcdas-oba-akiolu/
—Kazeem Ugbodaga & Ermomosele Ebhomele