The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, has revealed that some military leaders attempted to stop Bola Tinubu from becoming governor of Lagos State.
Marwa, who served as the military administrator of Lagos from 1996 to 1999, said the military hierarchy opposed Tinubu’s emergence because of his pro-democracy activities and involvement with the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) during the struggle against military rule.
He made this known in Abuja on Saturday during the public presentation of Buni Boy, a book written by the late Niyi Ayoola-Daniels.
The retired brigadier general said the trust Lagos residents placed in him motivated his decision to conduct a transparent and credible democratic election.
“Even though the head of state then, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, did not interfere in my conduct of the governorship election, the military hierarchy did,” Marwa said.
“After seeing the then-Senator Bola Tinubu’s strong campaign and popularity, the military hierarchy instructed me to prevent him from becoming governor because of his pro-democracy activism in NADECO against the military government then.
“But I chose to conduct a free and fair election that produced the most popular candidate as governor of Lagos State. The rest today is history.”
Marwa said his 30-year military career strengthened his belief in Nigeria’s unity, noting that the army’s ethos was built around the idea of one Nigeria.
“In the army, intermarriage and close fellowship pushed us to look past ethnic lines and stand together as one,” he said. “Wherever I stand in this country, whether among the Ogoni, the Bachama, the Igbo or the Idoma, anywhere at all, I am at home.”
Tinubu served as the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, during which he introduced wide-ranging reforms that reshaped governance and boosted the state’s economy. His administration focused on expanding internally generated revenue, improving infrastructure, and restructuring the public service.
He implemented key policies in transportation, waste management, and urban development, forming the groundwork for later projects completed by subsequent administrations.
Tinubu also created additional Local Council Development Areas to bring government closer to the people, despite legal disputes with the Federal Government. His tenure is widely regarded as instrumental in modernising Lagos and enhancing its financial autonomy.
