Fowler joins governorship race in Lagos

                                         
Via pmnews

Chairman, Lagos Internal Revenue Service, LIRS, Tunde Fowler has resigned to pursue his governorship ambition of governing Lagos next year.

P.M. NEWS reliably gathered that Fowler has submitted his resignation letter to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. The resignation will take effect from 1 June, 2014.

Mr. T. Jimoh, an Assistant Director would act on his behalf before a substantive new LIRS chairman is appointed.

It was gathered that Fowler decided to quit after briefing the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu about his aspiration to contest the 2015 governorship race in the state.

A top source said that Fowler took the step upon his discussion with Tinubu, who asked him to resign his appointment to enable him contest for the governorship of Lagos State.

With the purported zoning of the Lagos governorship ticket to Lagos East Senatorial District, political pundits do not see Fowler standing a chance to clinch the governorship ticket under the flagship of the APC.

Fowler has been the brain behind the growing Internal Generating Revenue, IGR, of Lagos state, which now stands at N29 billion monthly. He was appointed the Chairman, LIRS by the former Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and has been pivotal in revenue generation for the state.

Fowler was born to the family of Professor and Mrs. W.V. Fowler both of Lagos State. He studied in the United States of America at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, where he obtained his first bachelors’ degree with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a minor in Political Science in 1978.

He completed a second bachelors’ degree programme at the California State University, Los Angeles and also a Master of Business Administration degree programme at the California State University, Dominguez Hills in 1981.

Fowler started out as a Marketing Intern with Avon Products Inc., New York, working under the Vice President in charge of Africa. Having completed his formal education he was employed by Johnson and Johnson in New Jersey USA, under the MBA International Development Program lasting one year, thereafter he was transferred to join Johnson and Johnson Nigeria between September 1982 and September 1983.

In 2004, Fowler joined the Lagos State Government and was appointed the pioneer Permanent Secretary/ Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue on the 24 November 2005, thereby upgrading the office of the Executive Chairman to the highest level in the Civil Service.

With his decision to resign, Fowler has joined the growing lists of contenders for Fashola’s position. Other aspiring for the position are the Lagos Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Kadri Hamzat; Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji; former Commissioner for Education and Health, Dr. Leke Pitan; House of Representatives member, Femi Gbajabiamila; Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, GOS, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Lagos Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello; Lagos Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal; former Lagos Commissioner for the Environment and Transportation, Dr. Muiz Banire; former Accountant General of Lagos State, Akin Ambode.