President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly scolded Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly over his governorship ambition and alleged disrespect for Governor Bbajide Sanwo-olu.
Obasa, according to Vanguard was, on Tuesday tongue-lashed by the president during a meeting with the governor, Obasa and the Governorship Advisory Council, GAC, a body constituted by the ruleing All Progressives Congress, APC, to advise the state government.
The ruling APC chairman in the state, Cornelius Ojelabi also attended the crucial meeting.
According to the report, Tinubu was said to have also expressed his displeasure with the state Speaker over his rumoured governorship ambition, which watchers of events insist has set the state on a tailspin.
The magazine has reported that Obasa is one of those who have shown interest in Governor Sanwo-olu’s job, apart from Seyi Tinubu, the president’s son whose ambition to become governor has recently become a public item.
Recall that Obasa recently said none of those who have occupied the Alausa Government House, as the state seat of power is called, is more qualified than him.
President Tinubu, according to sources who attended the meeting was not pleased with the manner Obasa was prosecuting his reported governorship ambition, he also berated him for his alleged disrespect for Governor Sanwo Olu at the very crucial meeting.
A source, who confirmed Obasa’s presence at the Ikoyi meeting held behind closed doors said it lasted for several hours.
According to the source, Tinubu and the GAC, led by its Chairman, Pa Tajudeen Olusi, were able to reach a truce between Sanwo-Olu and Obasa, in order to allow peace reign in the state.
Several members of the council, and Sanwo-Olu with Obasa, were given the opportunity to speak on the issue before Mr. President addressed the gathering expressing his displeasure with Obasa but called for a way forward.
They accused Obasa of making statements likely to disintegrate and put the party into disrepute if he continues to speak carelessly about his gubernatorial ambition in 2027.
Recall that earlier, Tinubu had issued a stern warning to the Speaker over his alleged disrespect towards Governor Sanwo-Olu and the esteemed office of the governor.
The warning came during a meeting with the leadership of GAC, in Lagos over the weekend. Olusi visited the president shortly after his return to Lagos for the end-of-year break.
The meeting, meant to be a political gathering, turned into a platform for the GAC to address growing concerns about Obasa’s perceived disregard for the governor.
Olusi according to the report, opened the discussion, citing several instances where Obasa allegedly undermined the governor’s authority, a situation he described as unacceptable and detrimental to the state’s political stability.
Highlighting the importance of respecting the office of the governor, Olusi was said to have reminded the president of how the position was upheld during Tinubu’s tenure as governor between 1999 and 2007.
In his remarks, Tinubu, visibly displeased with the allegations against the speaker, criticized Obasa for what he described as poor political management and lack of respect for Governor Sanwo-Olu.
The president particularly cited a recent move, by the Assembly under Obasa’s leadership, to push for a bill enabling them to sack the chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, labeling it as “a huge joke.”
The magazine reported that Governor Sanwo-Olu has been having it rough with the Obasa-led Assembly since he was re-elected for a second term in office.
Analysts cite, for instance, the refusal by the Assembly to confirm some commissioner and Special Adviser nominees by Governor Sanwo-olu, last year, as the peak of the entrenched battle between the governor and the Speaker.
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