The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Governance Advisory Committee (GAC) in Lagos State have supported Mudashiru Obasa’s removal as Speaker of the state House of Assembly.
The leadership of the party who met with the lawmakers at the State House Marina gave their blessing to the change of leadership at the state Assembly on Tuesday after the meeting held behind closed doors with the lawmakers.
Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, the newly elected Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, who informed the press and other members of the state Assembly, said they were at the State House to brief the leaders of their party about the development in the House on Monday and seek their blessing.
She said, “We have come here this afternoon to meet with our leaders, the leaders of the party, to brief them about what happened at the Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday(Monday) and to seek their blessing, which we have gotten.”
It will be recalled that the former speaker of the state Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, was impeached by the lawmakers on Monday on allegations of gross misconduct, poor leadership, highhandedness, lack of commitment to legislative business, lack of regard for lawmakers, intimidation and suppression of lawmakers, among other things.
Commenting on the development, Gboyega Akosile, Governor Sanwo-Olu’s special adviser on Media and publicity, said that the governor had no hand in removing the former Speaker, Mr Obasa.
Akosile, who debunked the rumours that Sanwo-Olu was behind Obasa’s removal over a perceived rift between him and the legislative arm, clarified this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.
He said, “No, no, no. There is absolutely nothing true about that. I mean, the governor does not have a hand in it. It was purely a legislative matter.
“The governor is busy with serious matters and caring for the over 20 million Lagos population.
“What happened in the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly was purely the prerogative of the legislators.
“I mean, we saw it in the media, just like you, that the legislators removed the Speaker. We watched like every other person. The governor must have watched it like any other person.
“I don’t think there is anything more to it other than that. So, there is no hand of the governor in the impeachment of the Speaker,” Akosile said.
At an emergency plenary, 32 of the 40 lawmakers removed Obasa from office via voice votes over alleged gross misconduct.
The House also suspended the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Olalekan Onafeko, indefinitely during the plenary.
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