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From Ismail Omipidan, Abuja
The move by sacked Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, to return to his former position appears to have succeeded, albeit temporarily.
However, unlike his sack, which was duly carried out at a plenary, Obasa ‘s return yesterday, was anything but civil. If anything, his return gave an impression of someone that is “untouchable,” thereby, rubbishing Lagos’ acclaimed position as “Centre of Excellence.”
Since his sack by colleagues in January, Obasa has been making frantic efforts to return to his position. He rushed to the court to challenge his removal, on the ground that his removal from office did not follow due process. While that was on, some leaders of the party in the state were also pushing for his return.
But the move was met with resistance from both the lawmakers and some prominent elders, who are members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Daily Sun gathered that in one of their meetings, which ended in a deadlock, following the inability of the elders to arrive at a consensus over the leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly, a development, that sharply divided the advisory body, majority of the elders were of the view that Obasa’s removal should stand so as not create a fresh bad blood among the lawmakers.
At the time, the 32 lawmakers, who elected the new Speaker, Mrs. Mojisola Meranda, vehemently opposed the move to return the former Speaker, as a presiding officer, even as the lawmakers clarified that, contrary to Obasa’s claim, the constitution was not in any way breached in carrying out his sack.
Many, including the elders of the party who are GAC members, told Daily Sun in confidence that President Bola Tinubu holds the key to the resolution of the crisis.
One of them, who spoke before yesterday’s development, told Daily Sun: “There was a meeting. But, it was inconclusive. There is division. If the former Speaker had behaved well, we won’t be in this crisis.”
However, it was also gathered that the major concerns raised about the choice of the new Speaker by both Tinubu and other elders of the party was about the fact that the new Speaker, hails from Lagos Central Senatorial District, the same district as that of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, leaving Lagos West with nothing, considering that the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has since relocated his political base from Lagos West to Epe, in the Lagos East Senatorial District.
But the above position was countered by another elder of the party who noted that the so called exclusion was necessitated by an exigency and that it was a non-issue, emphasising that “there is no complaint from the mass of Lagos West party members about Obasa’s removal.”
The elder further said the return of Obasa may lead to another round of crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly as Obasa may want to seek vengeance against those who removed him.
“The members of the House of Assembly fear the implications and unintended consequences of returning Obasa to his former position. There is no crack in the House on this matter. They intend to forward their resolution to insist on Meranda to the party leadership,” the source revealed.
Daily Sun can confirm that the said position was conveyed to the party leadership, with sources claiming that the report informed the enlisting of senior citizens who though are not from the state, but are long time associates of Tinubu, to step in.
After their intervention, it was learnt that one of the serving lawmakers from Lagos West would step in as Speaker, with Madam Speaker reverting to her position, Deputy Speaker, before Obasa’s sack.
As at the time of filing this report, it is not clear if Tinubu has finally dropped the idea of pushing for the reinstatement of Obasa. But if yesterday’s commando-like return of Obasa is allowed to stay, it makes a permanent dent on the democratic credentials of President Tinubu because the odour coming out of Lagos at the moment stinks.
