Lagos Assembly Wades Into Power Crisis at Estate Managed by President Tinubu’s Brother

The Lagos State House of Assembly has formally invited the leadership of the Royal Gardens Estate Residents Association (RGERA), Ajah, to a meeting as part of efforts to resolve the protracted governance and electricity crisis that has thrown the once-prestigious community into turmoil.

In a letter dated September 20, 2025, and signed by the Clerk of the House, O.B. Onafeko, the Assembly summoned the Association’s Chairman to appear before its Committee on Housing on Tuesday, September 23, at the Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja.

“Further to the receipt of your petition on the above subject, I write to invite you to a meeting with the Committee on Housing. You are enjoined to attend the meeting along with relevant documents that would facilitate fruitful deliberations,” the letter stated.

The intervention follows years of deepening disputes between residents and the estate’s developer, Trojan Estates, owned by President Bola Tinubu’s brother, Kunle Tinubu, particularly over electricity supply and governance structures.

Royal Gardens Estate has been without public electricity for over a year, following the disconnection of the community from the national grid by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) on May 26, 2024.

At the heart of the crisis is the imposition of a bulk metering system under which the entire estate is billed collectively, in violation of the 2023 Electricity Act.

While many other estates in Lagos, including VGC, Nicon Town, and Crown Estate, have successfully transitioned to direct metering, Trojan Estates has reportedly resisted such reforms.

EKEDC had previously indicated its readiness to migrate Royal Gardens to direct billing if allowed, but Trojan has insisted on maintaining the bulk system.

This has left residents, who are forced to pay a controversial ₦27,000 monthly electricity levy, plunged into darkness whenever there is a shortfall in payments to EKEDC, regardless of whether individuals have topped up their meters.

The electricity dispute has further exposed cracks in estate governance. Residents accuse Trojan Estates of unilateral decision-making and a refusal to recognise the democratically elected Royal Gardens Estate Residents Association (RGERA) executive committee.

Also among allegations levelled against Trojan are attempts to dismantle community-funded infrastructure such as solar streetlights, arbitrary disconnection of homes, imposition of service charges without consultation, and a breakdown in basic services such as waste collection.

“The crisis in Royal Gardens Estate is not just about electricity or infrastructure—it is about fairness, justice, and the right of every resident to live in dignity and peace,” the RGERA stated in a recent petition.

The dispute has already spilled into the courts. After the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) invited both parties for hearings on direct metering, Trojan reportedly refused to attend and instead filed a lawsuit challenging NERC’s authority.

The matter, brought under Trojan’s operating company, Solar Gardens Project Ltd, is currently before Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The Assembly’s move is widely seen as an attempt to mediate in the festering crisis before it spirals further.