First Civilian Governor Of Lagos State, Jakande Dies @91

The first elected civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, is dead. He passed on in the early hours of Thursday at the age of 91.

Born on July 23, 1929, Jakande, an accomplished journalist, contested the governorship election on the platform of defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and was elected governor of Lagos State on October 1, 1979.

Re-elected for his second tenure that commenced on October 1, 1983, the military struck in a coup d’etat that prematurely terminated the second Republic on December 31, 1983.

However, Jakande’s tenure as Governor of Lagos state remains a reference point till date owing to the massive infrastructure development recorded during his four-year administration.

Some of his developmental strides include mass housing estates that include the popular Jakande Estates built across many Local Government Areas in the State as well as his huge investment in education.

Certainly, many political commentators agree that the death of Jakande, who was known not to be interested in accumulation of wealth like present day politicians, will signal the end of a political era characterised by boldness in political decision making in the interest of the people and country.

Recalled that following the military take-over in December 1983, the late Jakande was arrested, charged, prosecuted and convicted of treason by the Major-General Muhammadu and Brigadier-General Tunde Idiagbon-led regime.

However, he was later freed and pardoned by the administration of Military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.

With Babangida’s annulment of June 1993 presidential election widely-acknowledged to have been won by M. K. O. Abiola and eventual stepping aside from Aso Rock, Jakande thereafter accepted to serve as the Minister of Works under the Sani Abacha military regime between November 1993 and August 1998.

This singular move earned him public criticisms and many commentators are quick to argue that his romance with the late Abacha greatly hampered his political career when democratic governance was restored in 1999.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, writing on his twitter handle, described the late Jakande as “a venerable Statesman, outstanding politician, and public administrator.”