GAC denies endorsing Obasa’s removal as Speaker, blames lawmakers

GAC denies endorsing Obasa’s removal as Speaker, blames lawmakers

The Governance Advisory Council (GAC) has denied approving the removal Mudashiru Obasa as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, blaming the lawmakers for not consulting with the leaders of the party before taking the action.

The Chairman of the highest advisory body to the Lagos State, Prince Tajudeen Olusi who made the clarification on Friday specifically said that, “The lawmakers carried it out without consulting the party and those of us in the GAC. That is our position. We invited all of them and insisted that all of them are products of the party. They lodged their complaints and we listened to them.

“I blamed them for one thing and that is for not lodging the complaints earlier before the party. It is for the party to decide. They (lawmakers) have no absolute power to remove and install their leaders.

The stance of GAC is a clear signal that the party may review the decision of the Lagos State lawmakers and return Obasa as the Speaker of the Assembly.

Speaking with newsmen in an interview at his residence, Olusi said that lawmakers neither consulted the ruling party in the state, All Progressives Congress (APC), nor the council before replacing Obasa with the Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda.

He said: “Members of the GAC are not members of the Lagos State House of Assembly to allegedly be behind the removal of Obasa.  “It can’t be true. We were not told before they did it. We read it also that morning.

“Nobody can become a member of the House of Assembly unless sponsored by a political party. And the sponsors are the inspectors.”

The APC apex leader said that the speakership crisis in the House remained a problem between Obasa and his colleagues in the House, adding: “The problem is the speaker (Obasa) and his colleagues, which had led to his removal. It is a dispute among them.”

Olusi said no organ of government was totally independent of the other, adding that the party, GAC, and another high powered committee set up was working tirelessly to resolve the dispute.

He said: “Currently, there is a high powered committee of the party led by Chief Bisi Akande and members, including Aremo Olusegun Osoba, and former APC National Vice Chairman, South West, Chief Pius Akinyelure, and others.

“They are working and making efforts to resolve the matter. 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.”

Speaking on dissenting views expressed by some members of the GAC, Olusi said that those who spoke expressed their individual views, which they were entitled to, not the GAC’s.

He added: “One day, and very soon, the matter will be settled. Dispute and differences are facts of life and dispute resolution and party mechanisms are also there. You leave us alone. As a party, we are conscious of our responsibility and that of the House of Assembly.

“We are going to do all within our powers to resolve the dispute. The overall responsibility is on the party.”

Recall that the leadership crisis took a worrisome dimension on Thursday when the removed Speaker stormed the Assembly insisting that he was never removed.

Obasa, who spoke with reporters shortly after he arrived at the assembly complex with some security personnel, said he had returned to the Assembly to take charge.

The visit was Obasa’s first appearance at the complex after he was removed by his colleagues in January over alleged misconduct and financial impropriety.

The removed speaker returned on a day the security details of Meranda were withdrawn.

They were later restored the same day.