By Gbenga Shaba
The first thing that Honourable Funmi Tejuoso’s posters emitted when they came alive in Mushin Constituency 1 in 2003 was endearing beauty which could disarm the meanest of terrorists. She would later prove to the electorate that she was not just all about beauty but also a powerful combination of brain and brawl subsumed in a pretty frame. She was as rhapsodic in expressing her legislative dreams for then would-be constituents as she has been convincing in her quest to offer effective representation for Mushin Constituency 1 in her three-term sojourn in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
By the time a 8th Legislative House will be inaugurated in Lagos, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuoso will be the longest serving and the most experience female lawmaker in the house. A quintessential lawyer; she was called to Bar in 1993 and currently writing her Doctorate Degree (Ph.d) at the University of Lagos.
Her incursion into the esoteric world of politics was in the mid 90’s. Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuoso owns the record of the most experienced female lawmaker in a male dominated Lagos State House of assembly.
Currently on her third term, Hon. Tejuoso Law making political sojourn started when she was elected into the Lagos Assembly in 2003. She later emerged as the deputy speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly in 2007 after her re-election.
In the history of Lagos State House of Assembly, no female has been elected for three terms consecutively; a feat she achieved in 2011 when she was re-elected for third term by her constituency, Mushin Constituency 1.
Hon. Tejuoso who is presently the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance has severally used her office to collaborate with gender activists and non-governmental organizations in the area of women empowerment, and has also been working assiduously towards raising the awareness of women about their social and political rights.
During her times in the House, she has sponsored Domestic Violence Bill into law (a private member bill). She has also supported and contributed immensely to the passage of other bills into laws, spanning from Education, Health, Infrastructure, Youth Empowerment and Development, Security, Appropriation and the Child’s Right Law.
Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuoso will still be contesting in the 2015 Assembly elections to return to the Lagos State House of Assembly for her 4th term and bookmakers already favoured her to be one of the leading contenders for the speakership seat of the Lagos State House of Assembly when the 8th Legislative Assembly kicks off in June this year.
And on her constant appearance at the State Assembly, she has this to say; “I’m in politics basically to care about the needs of people. The whole idea of a professional like me running for election is to try and improve the environment around us by ensuring that we make laws that will impact positively on the lives of the people”
