Former presidential aide Laolu Akande has suggested that resistance from some of President Bola Tinubu’s close associates may be responsible for former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola’s absence from the current administration.
Akande made the allegation during an appearance on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, where he discussed the Tinubu government and the reported political differences between the president and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
He acknowledged that Fashola might have become weary of public office after years in government but argued that opposition from within the president’s circle was a more important factor.
According to him, Fashola’s reputation for firmness and unwillingness to compromise his principles could have made some people uncomfortable with the prospect of his return to government.
“I think the reason why Fashola is not in this government, two reasons. I think Fashola himself has a bit of fatigue, more importantly, I think there are people around the president who don’t want to see Fashola because Fashola is not going to tolerate many of those things that you are seeing around,” Akande said.
He further described the former minister as someone who would not tolerate practices he considered unacceptable.
“Whatever you say about Fashola, he doesn’t take nonsense and the people who wanted to get some nonsense going, they didn’t want Fashola,” he added.
Despite the alleged resistance, Akande said Fashola had maintained a close relationship with Tinubu, with no major public fallout between the two politicians.
He, however, hinted at possible underlying tensions, suggesting that the absence of an open confrontation did not necessarily mean there were no differences between them.
Fashola, who governed Lagos State between 2007 and 2015, later served in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet as Minister of Power, Works and Housing before becoming Minister of Works and Housing.
He has yet to secure an appointment in Tinubu’s administration.