People Around Tinubu Don’t Want To See Fashola Because Fashola Won’t tolerate Many Of These -Akande

According to Symfoni Tv on Friday October 23 2026, former presidential spokesman Laolu Akande speaks bluntly on President Bola Tinubu, the economy, and why the inner circle that built Lagos is missing in Abuja.

Speaking on the Naija Unfiltered podcast, Akande revealed that former Lagos State Governor and former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, is being deliberately blocked from joining President Tinubu’s administration by people within the Presidential Villa.

Akande said those around the President are uncomfortable with Fashola because of his principled stance and unwillingness to tolerate what he described as nonsense going on in government.

“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. Whatever you say about Fashola, he doesn’t take nonsense. He doesn’t take nonsense,” Akande stated.

He repeated the claim later in the interview, emphasizing that Fashola remains close to the President personally and has no open problem with him, but the cabal around the President does not want people like him.

“Even somebody like Fashola who is still very close to the President, no problems openly, yet it’s not him because people around the President don’t want people like that. And the people who wanted to get some nonsense going, they didn’t want Fashola. That is a very important factor,” he explained.

Akande contrasted Tinubu’s current team with his cabinet as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, when he surrounded himself with strong, brilliant people like Fashola, Yemi Osinbajo, and others who could constrain him and tell him no. He said those aides would sit in his office and refuse to leave even when Tinubu told them to get out, until he listened to their superior arguments.

The former presidential aide said the absence of such strong characters in Aso Rock today explains why the administration is struggling. He said Tinubu needs people who can push back, like Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso, who he praised for standing his ground.

According to Akande, until Tinubu brings back his first eleven, the government will continue to play the World Cup with a second team.

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