‘Two Decades of Lagos House of Assembly: Face to Face with the Movers and Shakers’ written by Tolani Abatti, gives insight into Lagos politics of the last 20 years.
PEOPLE interested in knowing everything about the Lagos State House of Assembly since the fourth republic’s advent in 1999 to 2021 now have a rich resource material.
It is ‘Two Decades of Lagos House of Assembly: Face to Face with the Movers and Shakers’ written by veteran journalist Tolani Abatti, who has spent over 20 years covering it.
The 476-page book he unveiled to the media recently has been hailed for its rich content and in-depth analyses. Ex-Chief Press Secretary to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr Segun Ayobolu, commended it to the public and aspiring politicians in the foreword.
“This book is crucial for anyone who wants to understand better aspects of the politics of Lagos State over the last two decades of sustained civil rule in our land. And beyond this, it gives us insights into the mindset, psychological disposition, and motivations of those we elected to utilize the power of governance on our behalf. This kind of knowledge will help people understand the political terrain better and even spur others to enter the political fray by active participation in the political process.”
Apart from containing interviews with the 58 old and serving members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, it also has profiles and current whereabouts of the 137persons that have represented different constituencies from 1999 to 2021. Abati’s thoroughly researched work also contains all the laws passed by the House of Assembly.
Speaking at the book’s unveiling, Abati, ex-Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, explained that it chronicles the evolution of the Assembly.
He said the book covers an array of shenanigans of the House, including the pandemonium of 1999 stemming from who should become the Speaker from the factions of the now-defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD).
He disclosed that becoming the Lagos Assembly correspondent for Encomium Magazine allowed him to cover politics and private scandals and interview personalities there from 1999 until 2019 when he completed the book.
“It was a nice experience because a lot of them were enthusiastic. The book is a set of interviews of the 58 individuals, both former and serving members of the House. People who have passed through the Lagos State House of Assembly and played a pivotal role one way or the other in the growth of the legislative institution,” he said.
On the decline of the quality of coverage the Lagos Assembly has received recently, Abati noted that things had changed significantly, especially with the advent of Social Media.”At some point, I was removed because of my style of coverage, but it never stopped me. Doing a manual assessment, today’s journalists do not have such resilience,” Abati added.
Born in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, on December 26, 1958, Abati attended St Michael Catholic Primary School, Ijebu Ode and Ago-Iwoye Secondary School.
He attended Times Journalism Institute and started his journalism career with Tempo Magazine. From Fame Magazine, he moved to National Encomium, later known as Encomium Magazine.
The author is the longest-serving correspondent at the Lagos State House of Assembly. He also served briefly as the Chief Press Secretary to Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. He is presently the Editor-in-Chief and owner of Power Corridor, an online publication.
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