Details As Segun Dawodu Returns To Lagos Exco After 16years

Tolani Abati

Mr Ganiyu Olusegun Dawodu , one of the commissioner nominees of Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu is certainly not a new person in the corridor of power in Lagos State.

He was appointed the commissioner for Sports and Social Development in 1999 by Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu then.

He was the youngest (36) , in that star studded cabinet which included ; Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Ogbeni Raufu Aregbesola, Dele Alake , Chief Kemi Nelson, Mrs Teju Phillips, Dr Muiz Banire, Musiliu Obanikoro , later Mr Babatunde Fashola and many others

Mr Segun Dawodu tenure as a commissioner was however not a smooth one. His albatross then was his father, Alhaji Ganiyu Olawale Dawodu aka G. O. D who was also the state chairman of Alliance for Democracy ( AD), the ruling party in the state then.

Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu and Governor Bola Tinubu were certainly not on the same page despite belonging to the same political party.

As a matter fact, Alhaji Dawodu did not support Tinubu as governorship candidate of the party .

Alhaji Dawodu favoured candidate then was Engr Funsho Williams.

It took the intervention of the national leadership of the party led by Chief Ayo Adebanjo for Tinubu to eventually emerge the party governorship candidate then.

Even when Tinubu became governor and his son was a member of his cabinet , there was still no love lost between Alhaji Dawodu and Tinubu throughout that period (1999-2003).
While this acrimony was going on between his father and boss, Mr Segun Dawodu was torn between his loyalty to his boss and familial affinity to his father.

He tried many times to dissuade his father from antagonising his boss and support him, it was to no avail.

As they say, the last stroke that broke the camel back for the young man was not only when his father left AD to form another political party, Progressive Action Coalition ( PAC) but also emerged the governorship candidate of the party for the 2003 general elections.

He was torn between supporting his boss( Tinubu) for second term and his father to become the governor of the state.
The situation was very dicey for him and he had to quietly exit himself from Tinubu’s cabinet towards the election time in 2003.
Tinubu won his second term while his father loss.

Although his father died in 2006, but he had not been lucky to get any elective or political appointment since 2003 despite not leaving the ruling party in the state.

With his name now on Governor Sanwo- Olu’s commissioners list, it means he has found favour with the power that be in the state again.

Luckily for him , he is relatively young . He will 56 by September 20, 2019.