Inside Story of Tinuade Sanda’s Corporate Fall From Grace To Grass

MICHAEL AKINOLA

The embattled boardroom lioness, Dr. Tinuade Sanda who was recently removed as the Chief Executive Officer of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EkoDISCO), has now been dismissed from her present position at the holding company, West Power & Gas (WPG).

She was removed from her role at EkoDISCO following a Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC directive aimed at improving governance and operational efficiencies within the distribution sector.

Following her removal from Eko Disco, Tinuade was replaced by Rekhiat Momoh as the Acting CEO.

Tinuade, who was said to have spent each day rueing her disregard for caution, feeling she understood early enough and now could turn back the hands of time to avoid her current travail.

Losing her job with Eko Disco was a great tragedy as she hoped against reason that somehow, she would be reinstated.

She fought to be reinstated but contrary to her expectation, she wasn’t restored to her position, instead, she was seconded but later given the boot from West Power & Gas (WPG), the parent company of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), weeks after she was asked to return to the firm (WPG).

Tinuade, following a boardroom crisis at the distribution company, was relieved of her duties at WPG via a letter dated April 17, 2024, and signed by the company’s Chair, Charles Momoh.

Sources said Tinuade may have been a victim of an internal shareholder jostle for control between the company chairman Oritsedere Otubu and majority shareholder Walter Wagbatsoma.

Until she was posted to the EKEDC as a Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO), Tinuade served as the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of WPG, a consortium of local businesses owning a 60 per cent stake and controlling interest in Eko Disco.

Her sack from WPG concludes a series of high-profile shifts in leadership within the organization, driven by directives from the NERC.

But sources said her journey into infamy started with a step leading to her falling with a stumble.

Tinuade’s tragedy may be attributed to her arrogance which has cost her the much dream job.

She enjoyed a perfect opportunity to prove her prowess, puncture the anti-female boardroom stereotype, and tower twice her natural size, above her male and female peers but she blew it.

So disgusted was the company’s board with her perceived misconduct that all the members allegedly voted for her immediate dismissal as the company’s MD/CEO.

Aside that she was booted out of her high offices at EKEDC and WPG as a consequence of high-wired politics and power play that took place over several months, Tinuade, until her removal, carried on like a lioness and roared at will, threatening the peace of both the old and young in her orbit.

Although there was initially some vigorous push-back by her supporters, Tinuade, who openly challenged her removal and dismissed it as unacceptable, lost in the acrimonious battle to reclaim her spot.

The scariest aspect of being sacked from her exalted positions at EkoDISCO and WPG, is her alleged lack of moral and emotional support at the homefront.

Tinuade allegedly looked down on the world, her husband, Sola Sanda, included, thinking how ugly and despicable they all were.

The Corporate lioness was said to have deserted her matrimonial home and ended her marriage at the cusp of the ascent of her career ladder.

Insiders revealed that Tinuade brazenly called it quits with her husband, Sola, and moved out of their matrimonial home with the kids, into a posh residence in Ikoyi.

Thus as her ordeal persists, she has no shoulders to cry on and no one to wipe her tears. And this revealed sources very close to her, has aggravated the emotional strain that she has been experiencing since she became embroiled in the high-wired power play that cost her her job.