The removing of a former Speaker of the Lagos State Home of Meeting, Mudashiru Obasa, has continued to deepen division throughout the All Progressives Congress within the state. This was as opposition events declared readiness to welcome the embattled lawmaker ought to he contemplate leaving the ruling social gathering.
Since Obasa’s impeachment on January 13, 2025, by a majority of lawmakers over alleged misconduct and monetary misappropriation, his removing has sparked conflicting reactions amongst members of the Governance Advisory Council, the very best decision-making physique of the APC in Lagos.
The division turned evident when two GAC members, Senator Anthony Adefuye and Chief Muraina Taiwo, who opposed Obasa’s removing, had been criticised by one other member of the group, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who dismissed their feedback as “infantile and inconsequential.”
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Adefuye had criticised the method that led to Obasa’s removing, whereas Taiwo, in a short WhatsApp message, said, “The lawmakers’ motion is against the law. It reveals complete disregard and clear disrespect for management. The GAC is break up over the matter, however we are going to all defer to our chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to resolve the disaster.”
Nonetheless, Obanikoro rebuked each males, urging social gathering leaders to chorus from making hasty statements on the difficulty.
The Lagos State Home of Meeting has stated it expects Obasa to return to the Home earlier than figuring out the subsequent plan of action, together with a attainable probe.
Nonetheless, as of the time of submitting this report, it was unclear whether or not the previous Speaker had appeared earlier than the Home, because the Meeting’s spokesperson, Olukayode Ogundipe, didn’t reply to calls on Friday.
In the meantime, opposition events within the state advised our correspondent on Friday that they had been open to accommodating the embattled former Speaker ought to he resolve to exit the ruling social gathering amid the continued disaster.
The Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Occasion within the state, Benedict Tai, stated the social gathering would implement applicable checks if Obasa ultimately joined them.
“If we settle for him into the social gathering, we are going to put checks and balances in place as a result of nobody can simply are available in and demand a place. The particular person should have spent years within the social gathering. We should be certain he isn’t coming to disrupt the social gathering, as some have performed prior to now,” he said.
He famous that the PDP welcomed the disaster throughout the APC and meant to capitalise on it to regain misplaced floor within the state.
“If disunity is an impediment to their social gathering, then we hope it worsens for them. They’re our major problem. The present scenario in Lagos is beneficial for the PDP, supplied we be taught from our errors and benefit from their shortcomings,” Tai added.
Equally, the Labour Occasion in Lagos expressed its willingness to welcome Obasa ought to he contemplate leaving the APC forward of the 2027 governorship election.
The Chairman of the social gathering, Pastor Dayo Ekong, stated the LP had no drawback integrating Obasa into its ranks so long as his pursuits aligned with the social gathering’s imaginative and prescient and ideas.
“If the impeached Speaker chooses to hitch the Labour Occasion, he can be welcomed as a result of our social gathering is open to everybody. As a celebration pushed by the best beliefs, we don’t wish to intervene in APC affairs. Nonetheless, if Obasa decides to hitch us, he can be accepted, supplied his pursuits align with what the LP stands for,” Ekong said.
When requested whether or not Obasa would possibly obtain preferential therapy on account of his political standing and rumoured governorship ambition, Ekong stated, “There are not any computerized rights wherever. Individuals had been on the social gathering earlier than he got here in. What we are going to do is permit everybody to undergo the primaries and take a look at their recognition. It’s not about granting an computerized ticket to anybody.
“Don’t overlook that the 2023 LP governorship candidate continues to be within the social gathering. However once we get to that bridge, we are going to cross it.”
