Exclusive: Lagos Council Chairmen To Spend Four Years + Role Of Tokunbo Afikuyomi In Tenure Controversy

The current elected chairmen of the 20 Local governments and 37 local council development areas in Lagos State will spend four years in office, The Gazelle News.com can exclusively report.
In recent time, there have been controversies over the tenure of the present council bosses within the political circles in the state particularly in the ranks and file of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The major controversy has been whether the council bosses are to spend three or four years in office.
Prior to 2017, elected council chairmen’s and councillors’ tenure was three years. This was sequel to the law passed by the state House of Assembly in 2003 fixing the tenure of elected administration at the local level at three years.
However in 2017, an amendment to the law was passed by the state House of Assembly.
The two major amendments were: that elected chairmen and councillors’ tenure is now four years while the Assembly has full control of discipline and supervision over the councils.
However, The Gazelle News.com reports the controversy over the tenure arose over whether the former Governor of the State, Akinwunmi Ambode signed the amendment Bill into law or not.
Majority of the APC chieftains in the state are of the view that the tenure of the councils still remain at three years. They were of the belief that Ambode did not sign the ammendment bill into law.
However, there were few divergent opinion who believed that indeed Ambode not only accented to the Bill but the law was also gazetted which makes it operational.
The Gazelle News.com reports that the pro-three year tenure were winning and this medium learnt authoritatively that the current state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu was set to install new caretaker committees for the councils when their three year supposed tenure expires on Friday, 25 July, 2020.
In actual fact, The Gazelle News.com learnt that names of the members of the caretaker committees are being compiled already.
This medium learnt further that the council chairmen’s case was further worsened by an alleged report of their performance conducted on behalf of the Governor which revealed that only seven out of the 57 really performed well and delivered on their mandate.
However, The Gazelle News.com learnt that it was Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, one of the few who insisted that the tenure of the chairmen and the councillors is four years.

It was alleged that the law passed by the Assembly and assented to by Ambode was missing.
The Gazelle News.com learnt that it was Afikuyomi who contacted former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ambode’s administration, Kazeem Adeniji who provided copies of the assented law and how it has been gazetted already.
This medium that the Afikuyomi effort settled the controversy and it was agreed that the tenure is four years, hence, the current crop of council chairmen and councilors will end the tenure on Saturday, 25 July, 2021