Lagos politics has been shaken by yet another tragedy with the death of Mrs. Khadijat Adebimpe Akintola, Council Manager of Coker-Aguda Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
Akintola, who passed on Monday, September 29, 2025, after a brief illness, was not just a council administrator but also the Chairperson of the Forum of Council Managers in Lagos State and Head of Administration in Coker-Aguda. Her death adds to a disturbing pattern: five female local government officials have now died in Lagos in less than eight weeks.
The unsettling timeline reads like a roll call of grief:
- August 13 – Oluwakemi Rufai, Councillor, Ward C1, Ibeju-Lekki LGA.
- August 18 – Zainab Shotayo, Councillor and Chief Whip, Ward C3, Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA.
- September 20 – Princess Oluremi Nutayi Ajose, Vice Chairman, Badagry West LCDA.
- September 21 – Basirat (Oluwakemi) Mayabikan, Councillor, Ward F, Shomolu LGA.
- September 29 – Khadijat Akintola, Council Manager, Coker-Aguda LCDA.
Officials have consistently attributed the deaths to illness and natural causes. Yet, the sheer frequency and clustering of these tragedies — all involving women in leadership at the grassroots level — has left the public uneasy. Could this be a coincidence, or does it point to deeper systemic issues?
Political watchers are asking tough questions:
- Were adequate medical screenings conducted for newly inaugurated council leaders and managers?
- Are stress and workload in the councils taking a toll on officials’ health?
- Could underlying welfare, lifestyle, or even security gaps be contributing factors?
For now, Lagos State leaders continue to express condolences, praising Akintola as a committed administrator and “pillar of grassroots governance.” But beyond tributes, calls are growing for independent reviews, mandatory health checks, and full transparency to reassure a worried public.
The string of losses, coming so soon after the swearing-in of council executives on July 27, risks overshadowing the new administration and raising doubts about the state of local governance in Africa’s largest city.