Mixed reactions are trailing the surprise return of Mudashiru Obasa as the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Obasa was impeached by his colleagues in the Lagos House of Assembly on Monday for allegations bordering on highhandedness and corruption. Consequently, Mojisola Meranda was elected speaker.
But Obasa, who was out of the country at the time, rejected the impeachment, arguing that due process was not followed. He later initiated a court case to challenge his removal.
However, in a surprise twist on Monday, Meranda, who presided over the plenary, announced her resignation.
“This is a notice of resignation as speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly,” Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency 1, declared, receiving loud applause from her colleagues.
The moment was emotional, with Desmond Elliot, representing Surulere Constituency, visibly moved to tears.
Following Meranda’s resignation, Obasa was unanimously re-nominated and sworn in again as speaker. Meranda was re-elected as deputy speaker. All decisions made after Obasa’s removal were reversed.
In his remarks after reassuming office, Obasa expressed gratitude to Meranda, his colleagues, and party leaders for their loyalty and intervention.
“We want to assure Lagosians that we have resolved and determined to serve their interest and protect their interest always.
“Our major responsibility is to represent them, and that’s what we have been doing.
“What is happening here today shows that the Lagos State House of Assembly is capable and is a House of integrity. It is a house that has an internal mechanism to resolve issues in the interest of the institution and our party.
“Today is not the day for speech-making but to celebrate my colleagues and thank them for all they have been doing. I am sure we will continue to work together in peace, love, and harmony,” he said.
Reacting to the development, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, said the development is a disgrace to democracy and shows that the lawmakers are only answerable to a certain individual and not their constituencies.
Rhodes-Vivour said it is an indication that the Lagos legislative arm is not independent and the views of the lawmakers do not matter, warning that democracy is in danger.
According to him, “It is a disgraceful show of state capture, one that shows the legislative arm of Lagos State was not independent. Attempts to get someone to speak for them has caused so much chaos that has seen the state Assembly desecrated by armed force.
“The brick of such solidarity that the Assembly members showed for themselves seem to be crushed by the ego and desire for control by godfatherism that has come to represent what Lagos politics is – which is the will and purpose of one man and his desire to control everything that goes on in Lagos.”
Speaking further, Rhodes-Vivour stated that the lawmakers are only doing the bidding of an individual and not for the generality of Lagosians, stressing that the state has been captured.
“The state capture of Lagos State is about the interest of one man, not the constituents, not the interest of Lagosians, not even the interest of Lagos Assembly members.
“Their will does not matter; their interest does not matter; and how they feel about the situation does not matter. What matters is the desire to put control and put his foot on the neck of Lagosians.
“It has been so in the last 20 years. It is very unfortunate, but Lagos State must break free. We must have judges and legislators that put the people first.”
Similarly, Temitope Musowo, public policy expert from the University of Ibadan, said it is unfortunate that the party leaders succeeded in forcing Obasa on his colleagues who had roundly rejected him.
Musowo pointed out that the excuse that the speakership must be retained in Lagos West Senatorial District for political balancing does not hold water, noting that Obasa is not the only ranking member from the constituency.
According to him, “If the majority of your colleagues say they don’t want you and the constitution so empower them, why force yourself on them? The implication of this is that you will be presiding over the House lacking in legitimacy.
“When party leaders’ position takes precedence over the constitutional provision, then, we are done for. This is the reason they don’t care about the people because they owe their allegiance to their party leaders and not the people.
“I just hope that the opposition parties in Lagos will wake up and end this nonsense someday.”
But Rasheed Maradesa, a political analyst, has a different view. He said the return of Obasa as speaker is an orchestrated move by power brokers in Lagos that is healthy for Lagos politics, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos and for the political stability in the state.
“Obasa was impeached and got reinstated by the same members that fired him. It’s inconsequential whether someone or somebody orchestrated this move. What’s important is that the house has a superb inbuilt conflict resolution mechanism.
“APC in Lagos state knows pretty well that any obstacle for the party to lose grip of Lagos must be quashed immediately.
“Not everything should get to the judiciary. In politics, you need to know your worth and never punch beyond your weight unless you want to be dealt a political technical knockout, with no option of a rematch.”
(BusinessDay)
