President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly stunned Babatunde Fashola following his decision to nominate Akintunde Ibitayo Akinwande, a professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as the executive chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
According to a report on The Cable, Akinwade was nominated ahead of Fashola’s preferred candidate, Olasupo Shasore, who was once attorney-general during his term as Governor of Lagos state.
Shasore was one of the aspirants reportedly supported by Fashola for the APC governorship ticket in the 2015 governorship election.
However, he and Femi Amzat, Fashola’s Commissioner for Works, were defeated by Akinwunmi Ambode, the preferred candidate of Bola Tinubu, a national leader of APC.
A Presidency source said: “Shasore was dropped because the president does not want anything that will stoke tension in the Lagos axis again.”
According to the source, Buhari personally sought out the NERC nominees as he is doing in critical areas of his administration.
He said: “The president’s expectation is that with more professionals in his team, including those from the Diaspora, he will be able to deliver the goods in these critical areas.”
Akinwande will succeed Sam Amadi whose tenure ended in 2015.