The reinstatement of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly has reportedly caused division within the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the highest political decision-making body in Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC).
While some party leaders have celebrated Obasa’s return, others insist that his reinstatement was only a temporary measure in a tripartite agreement brokered by former governors Bisi Akande and Chief Olusegun Osoba.
A GAC member, who spoke on condition of anonymity with The Guardian, stated that the issue was far from resolved, as the agreement required Obasa to step down after his reinstatement.
He said, “The tripartite solution is that Meranda must resign, and Obasa would be given a soft landing by being reinstated. However, he (Obasa) too must resign by today (Wednesday), making way for another Speaker from Lagos West. Any other arrangement besides this is null and void and must not be celebrated.”
Obasa’s Security Detail Sparks Controversy
Naija News reports that the GAC member also criticized Obasa’s decision to storm the Assembly complex last Thursday with armed security personnel, a move that has been widely described as an act of intimidation.
He further stated, “That is what they call brigandage in law. Since he has gone to court to challenge his removal, Obasa has no right to do that. The party must be bold enough to say this for the sake of our integrity before Lagosians, Nigerians, and the entire democratic world.”
The source added that he was waiting for Obasa to step down as agreed, warning that if he failed to do so, the entire crisis would be seen as a sham and an embarrassment to Lagos State.
However, some members of the GAC, particularly from Lagos Central, have taken a different stance, insisting that Obasa was right to assert himself as Speaker by arriving at the Assembly complex with security operatives.
“Obasa was correct in asserting his authority as Speaker by taking armed security officers to the Assembly last Thursday,” a senior GAC member from Lagos Central reportedly said.
This contradictory stance within the GAC highlights deepening cracks within Lagos APC, with power blocs struggling for control over the Assembly’s leadership.
