A former special assistant to President Bola Tinubu, Prof. Dapo Thomas, has revealed that during his tenure as Lagos State governor, Tinubu relied on a tightly knit circle of just five commissioners whom he trusted above all others.
In excerpts from his forthcoming autobiography, Lagos Boy and Lagos Politics, Thomas identified the five as Wale Edun, Dele Alake, Yemi Cardoso, Rauf Aregbesola, and Yemi Osinbajo. According to him, these officials enjoyed direct access to the governor and could submit files without routing them through the Office of the Chief of Staff—a privilege unavailable to other commissioners.
Thomas explained that Tinubu’s approach was driven by trust rather than favoritism, noting that the former governor believed character and integrity were essential in governance.
He also recounted incidents that highlighted Tinubu’s cautious decision-making, including a moment when the governor ordered commissioners out of his office after feeling pressured to sign multiple files before a trip, and another when he decided against taking official documents abroad after initially agreeing to do so.
The revelations are contained in Thomas’ memoir, scheduled for public presentation on July 9, offering fresh insight into Tinubu’s leadership style and the close circle of aides he depended on while governing Lagos State.