…group’s leader Olusi opens up
•Tackles lawmakers: Were you not in accord with Obasa to disgrace Gov Sanwo-Olu?
In a turn of events, the embattled former speaker of the Lagos State House of
assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, representing Agege Constituency I, last week, declared that he had resumed as the head of the 40-member legislative assembly. He had been removed as speaker on January 13, 2025 over alleged misconduct and sundry offenses. Obasa, who addressed reporters on the premises of the House on Thursday, insisted that he was never formally removed as speaker, stressing that any impeachment or removal must follow due process. He claimed that his removal took place in his absence, while he was out of Nigeria, and faulted the militarization of the Assembly Complex during the impeachment process. However, a group of lawmakers loyal to new speaker, Mojisola Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency I, rejected Obasa’s claim, saying Meranda remains their leader. Meranda was elected as speaker after Obasa’s removal, becoming the first female to take charge of the legislative body in the South-West state.
The ongoing speakership tussle has led to tensions in Lagos with security agents and legislative workers clashing on February 17, 2025. On Friday, 36 of the state lawmakers, including Meranda, appeared in an Ikeja court following the lawsuit filed by Obasa challenging his removal. The case was adjourned to March 7 for hearing. The situation remains unresolved, with Obasa’s latest move likely to escalate the crisis. The Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the political structure put in place by President Bola Tinubu as far as 1999 when he was governor of Lagos, appears to have a role in the House conflict as it was alleged that it was at the behest of some of its members that Obasa was removed as speaker. But the impeachment did not take place until the allegations against the sacked speaker had reportedly been reported to Tinubu by the GAC. The allegations against Obasa bordered on insubordination to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in a way that could destabilise the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos and misappropriation of funds belonging to the House. In this interview, GAC Chairman, Pa Tajudeen Olusi, speaks on the Obasa, Meranda impasse in the Lagos House among other issues in the polity. For the record, Olusi has a robust political background as he was a member of the second republic Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, when he served as a lawmaker representing Lagos South Constituency in the House of Representatives. Excerpts
On alleged gang-up to usurp Tinubu’s leadership
We have been hearing in some quarters that there is gang-up and treachery against Tinubu to usurp his leadership in Lagos within the GAC. I wonder how any sane person will say that. But I don’t want to get into such controversy at all. Nevertheless, how can anyone say Prince Olusi, at 88, will want to seize power, for what purpose? Does that sound reasonable? I want to believe that is part of media stunt. Let me say this, currently, it is the younger people who have to lead this country to the Promise Land; the elders may be part (of it) but not lead. That reminds me, about three years ago, during a GAC meeting with our leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, present, I moved a motion that all of us above 80 should step aside for the younger ones to take charge. I went further to point at those affected like Otunba Bushura Alebiosu, Mushy Adetoro, Rabiu Oluwa, Baba Aladura, Bashorun and Dr. Finnih, and when I finished my speech, all of them echoed, “No,” in disapproval of my motion. I turned to Asiwaju and said “I withdraw the motion in its entirety”. Later, I found out that they were right. I will explain why they were right. After some time, we had crisis between the governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, over the issue of commissioners’ nominees and then, somehow, it was we, the elders, through my leadership, who took control of the situation. We told them that after all, “we are your fathers”. We sat both them together and we were able to resolve the matter amicably, right and then. So, those who rejected our stepping aside were right. In actual sense of it, I’m really tired. The number of people that come to me over one issue or the other is enormous. That is the position, we are begging the media to let sanity reign in our party. What’s happening is not strange to our party. The day we met with the lawmakers at Marina, I asked them whether they wore sunglasses during the budget presentation (when Obasa kept Sanwo-Olu waiting in House for hours before starting event); were they not in accord with the speaker (Obasa) to disgrace the governor? But now it’s the opposite. Is it the GAC that initiated it? Thank God I did not go there on that day because I was not officially invited. The GAC members and the governor who attended were delayed for over four hours.
On Lagos Assembly, APC crisis
The problem we are having at the Lagos State House of Assembly is not far-fetched. The Lagos State House of Assembly is an institution established by the Constitution. It is a semi-independent organ, some people look at it as independent, but my own interpretation is that the Constitution of our country created the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. People talk about the judiciary as independent but it is not totally independent in actual sense of it, because the people who serve in the judiciary are appointed by the executive. We are human beings as sometimes we get angry and go beyond normalcy. I was watching a television programme where I saw Obasa saying the warring people are his colleagues who have been working together for many years and that they can sit down and settle issues. That’s the right position. The man has accepted that there can be a solution. But the problem in politics is that once there is a small division, your opponent will want to blow it out of proportion because they want to destroy your party and get it into disarray; well, it is the way of life and how we practice our democracy. We need to take note that things are now advancing. There are certain areas we need to improve.
On cracks in GAC over Obasa
I do not want to discuss this issue. Members of the GAC are not members of the state Assembly. Like other people, the GAC read the news that some lawmakers had impeached or removed, whichever is the proper word now, Obasa, without any consultation with party leaders, without any member of the House lodging complaints with the party or GAC members. Subsequently, we invited and met them at Lagos House, Marina. Initially they wanted to send a committee but we insisted on seeing all of them. We told them all of them are products of the party.
On party supremacy
If you have a say in the appointment of somebody… The overall responsibility is with the political party. That’s the area the media should research on. Nobody can become a president, a minister, a member of the national or state assembly, commissioner, local government chairman unless sponsored by a political party. Therefore, the party is like an inspector, if there are problems, if a member is misbehaving, you refer to the party. So, the issue of what is happening in the Lagos House of Assembly, the right channel to resolve it is the party. I’m also a member of the party, one of the elderly leaders that assist in the administration of the party, but I am not in the position to speak categorically on the state Assembly issue. What I can say now is that there is a dispute in the House of Assembly. For example, I have refused to speak on this with several media outfits in recent past. I directed them to the chairman of the party. But as an elderly person and considering your trouble coming down here, I have to honour you by responding to the issues. The problem is between the speaker who is the chairman of the Assembly and his colleagues, which led to either the removal or impeachment, or whatever. But there is a dispute.
Why I blame lawmakers
They followed the instruction, I presided over the meeting. Only three or four members were absent and they were said to have travelled abroad. But I blame them for one thing. That all these complaints they are bringing forward, despite their long years in the House, they never lodged any complaints with the party until now. But, again, I concede to them the right to say something about their leadership. And they said they have taken their decision without consultation. That is for the leadership and the party to decide finally. They have no absolute power to remove and install the House leadership. That was our position and they accepted and we promised to forward the outcome to the leadership and the party. But members of GAC, it is not our responsibility to discipline members or officers of the House. We and the party can only come in if there is a dispute and here we are. When you talk of individual members of GAC, I read in the newspapers that some members support this or that and the media has interviewed some of these members and they have expressed their personal positions which they are entitled to. They have never told you there were speaking for GAC. Linking GAC with the removal or reinstatement is wrong; the prerogative lies with the members of the House, not GAC. You the media should probe the real issues around this and not drag GAC into it. Let me remark here, the speaker has asserted that his removal was improper. The party has waded into the matter and there is a high powered committee of the party, led by Chief Bisi Akande and with members like Aremo Olusegun Osoba, a former Governor of Ogun State, and a former APC National Vice Chairman, South-West, Chief Pius Akinyelure, and others. They are working assiduously to resolve the crisis. I know they are in consultation with the House of Assembly, Obasa and the other speaker, Mrs. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda. Those of us in the GAC and the chairman of the party, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, are doing all within our power to assist the committee. That is my position.
On GAC’s past interventions
The purpose of this committee is to reconcile the people who have differences, there are disputes. And the APC has a Constitution that allows a state in case of disputes to ask the national executives to intervene. For instance, there was a time when I was the vice national chairman, I went to Ondo to settle scores and other states as well. Having differences is part of life. That is why in a company, there is management for the smooth running of affairs, dispute resolution among others. So, a party too has similar machinery, So, you, the media, should leave us alone. Don’t be too anxious. We, as a party, are conscious of our responsibility at the Lagos State House of Assembly as the legislative arm for Lagos. We are going to do all within our powers by the grace of Almighty to resolve all the differences.
On the chances of APC in 2027
My prayer is that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will continue to be the president of this country and that God will continue to guide him on to the right path. Currently, he is making steady progress in spite of the huge economic problems facing the entire country which has serious effects on the economy and administration of the teeming populace. So, my prayer is that he succeeds. God shall strengthen him to win the 2027 election because he has to submit to the dictate of democracy.
Alliance against APC in 2027
Talking about alliances and looking critically, you see that alliances tell you of the inability or failure of the opposition to win election. And in the forthcoming 2027 election, the opposition knows they cannot win; that’s why they move about looking for alliances. And if you look critically, since the last general elections about two years ago, they have been talking about alliances, associations. This shows their inability to win, they know this and, by the grace of Almighty God, APC, my party, your party, will continue to rule the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2027.
(Vanguard)
