Lateef Jakande Only Serve The People Under Abacha – Osoba

An APC chieftain, Chief Olusegun Osoba has blasted the criticism against ex Lagos State governor, Lateef Jakande, for serving under the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, as works minister.

Chief Osoba disclosed that Lateef worked with Sani Abacha as the man representing those that sought the actualisation of the annulled June 12, 1993 election won by the late MKO Abiola.

He added that the decision was only misread and Nigerians keep slamming him for it.

His words, “The thinking was that Pro-June 12 supporters should have a foot in the government. Many may not remember that Alhaji Jakande, alongside Dr Olu Onagoruwa and Alex Ibru, were in the vanguard of those who worked for MKO Abiola’s bail, which, unfortunately, he was prevailed upon by his lawyers not to accept at the last minute. We will never know what course history would have taken if Abiola had taken that bail.

“It is important for us to note that for Jakande, the appointment was just another opportunity to serve the public; not for any personal aggrandisement. He has, unfortunately, been maligned for this by members of the old political family, forgetting that much earlier in 1966, he had rejected invitation to serve the military government of the day. The failure to understand the context of some of the political developments post-1993 still underpins the political tendencies in South West politics today,”

Mr Yemi Osinbajo also praised Lateef Jakande for developing the education sector in Lagos. He said, “More importantly was in the housing sector which he made effectively. He built the largest number of housing projects by any state government in one circle, including that of the Federal Government, which was built under the Jakande administration and that has remained to this day.”