Tension rose yesterday at the Alimosho Local Government Area Secretariat as the suspended Chairman, Jelili Sulaimon, and Vice Chairman, Akinpelu Johnson, engaged in a confrontation over who controls the office.
The incident comes after Sulaimon’s suspension by the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday over alleged misconduct.
Following the suspension, the Lagos State House of Assembly issued a directive instructing the council’s Manager and Treasurer to recognize Johnson as the acting Chairman. This was aimed at ensuring that the Vice Chairman received full support to carry out his duties in the absence of Sulaimon.
Despite the clear order, Sulaimon defied the suspension and returned to the council’s secretariat, showing up for work in what appeared to be an act of resistance. Videos circulating online showed Sulaimon being greeted by a crowd of supporters at the secretariat, where he sought to assert control.
However, both Sulaimon and Johnson found the chairman’s office locked upon their arrival. According to sources, neither could access the office. After a short time, they both left the premises, heading to an undisclosed location. This unexpected turn of events added confusion to the power struggle within the council.
In the midst of this tension, four out of the seven councillors in the council have openly rejected a purported suspension of Vice Chairman Johnson by a minority group of councillors. The Vice Chairman had allegedly been suspended by three councillors loyal to Sulaimon. However, the majority of councillors stood by Johnson, denouncing the move as illegitimate.
In a joint statement released by councillors Mojisola Ayeni, Saheed Adejoke, Rasheed Semiu, and Elizabeth Fashina, they made it clear that the suspension of Johnson was not valid.
The statement read, “We, the undersigned legislators from Alimosho Local Government, officially dissociate ourselves from the staged managed and illegal suspension of Mr Akinpelu Johnson, the Vice Chairman of Alimosho Local Government.
“We condemn the purported suspension of the Vice Chairman by minority legislators, who acted on instructions of the validly suspended Chairman.
“We would like to emphasize that at no time was the Vice Chairman suspended hence our readiness to support him going forward with the administration of the Local Government.”
