The Lagos state house of assembly leadership tussle might drag longer than expected with the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) failing to carry out President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the reinstatement of Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa as the speaker of the house.
The president had in his last meeting with the leadership of the exclusive body told members to see to the reinstatement of Obasa as speaker to ensure political cohesion and geo-zonal balance in the state.
It was observed that the GAC failed to carry out the president’s order when the council held a meeting at the State House, Marina, Lagos, earlier in the week with members of the Lagos State assembly. The lawmakers at the meeting purportedly declared their support for Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda.
Also, 17 out of the 20 assembly members from Lagos West were said to have not only blocked Obasa’s return but also shortchanged the western zone of the opportunity to produce Meranda’s replacement by reaffirming their supprt for her contentious reign to continue.
It was gathered that during the meeting, the GAC leadership came up with an alternative solution to offer Obasa a senatorial ticket in the 2027 election so he would forgo the speakership position. This is in flagrant deviation from the presidential directive on the issue.
Having got an idea of what GAC was coming to relay to him under the guise of presenting him a report, highlighting their avoidable inability to carry out his order, the President, abruptly abandoned a scheduled meeting with them on Tuesday insisting that his directive be carried out.
“The president had learnt before the meeting that members of the GAC failed to reach a conclusion on his order that the Lagos Assembly lawmakers should reinstate Obasa so he called off the meeting,” an impeccable source reportedly disclosed to The People’s Gazette.
“He told them to go back and carry out his order,” the source emphasized.
They were, reportedly, informed that the president had no business with them and were immediately dispatched back to Lagos to carry out his (the President’s) order, which is for lawmakers to reinstate Mr Obasa, the sources reportedly noted.
“The members of the GAC who had come from Lagos stood for hours waiting for the president before they were informed that Mr Tinubu said he had no business with them since the individuals failed to carry out his order,” the sources said.
The sources added, “The attendees were ordered to go back to Lagos by Mr President and immediately reinstate Obasa as speaker because his decision is the final.”
Most observers are beginning to insinuate that the recalcitrant posture of the Lagos lawmakers in adhering to simple presidential instruction and the acquiescence of the GAC to their deviant conduct portends imminent crisis of cohesion for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.
Observers believe that the only rallying symbol of the ruling progressives in the state is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, GCFR and any attempt by anyone to countermand his influence and orders should be discouraged.
Moreover, observers believe that stakeholders should consider the larger interests of the party in the state and not parochial interests. This is because according to them, none of those blunting Tinubu’s orders on this issue or harbouring and goading the lawmakers have what it takes to keep APC as a political party united in the state like Tinubu has done over the decades.
The ongoing assembly leadership tussle has put the loyalty of the GAC members to Tinubu to test since they are now torn between queuing behind the state governor or embracing the president’s time tested political leadership in the centre of excellence.
