By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Ikeja, Lagos State, is once again in mourning as it confirms the passing of its Executive Chairman, Hon. Oladotun Olakanle. His death marks another tragic leadership loss for Onigbongbo LCDA, which saw Hon. Olakanle assume office following the untimely death of his predecessor, Hon. Babatunde Oke, in August.
This marks the latest in a troubling sequence of leadership changes among Lagos State’s LCDAs. Since 2020, other local councils have faced similar challenges, including Ikosi Isheri LCDA in Kosofe, where Chairman Engr. Abdulfatai Oyesanya passed away, as well as Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA’s Chairman, Dr. Augustine Arogundade, and Eti-Osa East LCDA’s Chairman, Hon. Olufunmi Olatunji, who died in mid-2021.
These losses have underscored the need for continuity in governance, often requiring vice chairmen to step up and complete the unfinished terms of their deceased principals. While many, like Hon. Olakanle, successfully secured fresh mandates, this pattern of abrupt succession has prompted growing calls for legislative reform. Local stakeholders are urging the Lagos State House of Assembly to consider limits on the tenures of vice chairmen who assume office due to the passing of their principals. They suggest that the ongoing review of the Local Government administrative law could introduce amendments in line with the 2020 federal bill signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari. This bill limited the re-election of vice presidents and deputy governors who had served out their predecessors’ terms.
Hon. Olakanle’s death, though a solemn event, may thus serve as a catalyst for the Lagos State Assembly to address these succession issues, seeking to ensure stability and longevity within local governance structures across the state.