By Akinwale Kasali
Though the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa has stated there is no rift or rancour between him and Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu of Lagos State, close observers still see the handwriting on the wall – which is that all is not well between the Number One and Number Three Citizens of the State.
Obasa’s outburst a few days ago of an alleged threat attack on him and other lawmakers over the rejection of some Commissioner-Nominees sent to the House by Governor Sanwo Olu was telling. Defending the rejection, he said it was “in tandem with the constitution, which stipulates its responsibilities and, as such, the Assembly would not succumb to threats and intimidations, including planned sponsored protests and analysis by some civil society groups and activists.”
Obasa went further to make some statements which political observers said was targeted at the Governor. He said: “Those who live in glass houses should be conscious not to throw stones.”
Though he stated that the House does not have any fight with either Sanwo-Olu or the Executive arm as projected by some people who, he emphasized, may not be aware of the actual reasons for the rejection of the nominees.
“There is this erroneous belief that we are waging war against the Governor. There is no basis for me and the House to fight the Governor. I will continue to say that the Governor is a brother and colleague in the Lagos project and service to the people of our State.
“The Governor and I have been around in the system for long. While he was SA to the former Deputy Governor, Femi Pedro, I was in this House as chairman, Committee on Rural Development. He was SA on Establishment and Pensions and I was chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts (Local Governments). While he was heading LSDPC, I was chairman, Committee on Economic Planning and Budget. Then, I became the Speaker and when he became the Governor, I remained the Speaker. So it’s been a long journey together.
“But I wonder why anytime the House says no to a particular request of the Governor, it is taken by some people to mean there is a fight with the Governor. This House has passed so many resolutions that the executive arm refused to carry out, but people don’t see that as something to talk about and the House does not raise eyebrows. So I don’t know what brings the erroneous belief that the House is fighting the Governor, who is our brother and who we will continue to work with.
“However, we have a constitutional responsibility. Just as the Governor has the responsibility to inform the House about his nominees, the House has the responsibility to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ which we have exercised by confirming some and denying some and we have our reasons for saying ‘no’ to some of the nominees.
“The House, as a body, has refrained itself from exposing what it discovered during the screening exercise and we are not going to be forced to spill to the public,” Obasa said.
The magazine gathered that the Cold War between Obasa and Governor Sanwo Olu did not just start. Insiders said it started long before the 2023 General Election.
Governor Sanwo Olu is alleged to be uncomfortable with the political power of Obasa who had been Speaker for three terms, and had schemed to cut down his powers.
When Obasa made his intention known to contest for the Lagos Central Senatorial District Ticket, Governor Sanwo Olu, it is alleged, was relieved that he would put his own man as Speaker of the 10th Assembly. But his relief was short-lived as the Powers- that-be in the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Leaders and decision makers of the Lagos Political enclave thought otherwise. They gave the Party Ticket for the Lagos Central Senatorial District to Obasa’s Deputy Speaker, Wasiu Eshinlokun.
Resigning to fate, Obasa returned to the Lagos State House of Assembly when he won the 2023 Election to represent Agege 1 Constituency.
But Governor Sanwo Olu had other plans. He tipped Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda to succeed Obasa as Speaker in the 10th Assembly.
To achieve that, Sanwo-Olu, allegedly, backed Hon. Meranda with a huge financial war chest to contest against Obasa for the Speakership position.
On his own, Meranda, allegedly, also induced some of the Lawmakers with money and promised them juicy Committee positions if elected as Speaker.
Unknown to Governor Sanwo Olu and Hon. Meranda’s faction, Obasa was privy to their plans and was also strategizing.
To keep the Speakership position, Obasa ran to Abuja to meet with President Bola Tinubu where he revealed the scheming Governor Sanwo Olu’s scheming.
President Tinubu waded into the matter and ordered that Obasa should be made Speaker for the third consecutive time unopposed, while Hon. Meranda was made the Deputy Speaker.
Since this, things have not been the same between Obasa and Governor Sanwo Olu. Their relationship became cold.
Obasa felt betrayed by Governor Sanwo-Olu and waited to pay him back in his own coin. This was what led to the brickbats and rejection of the Nominee Lists brought forward to the House by the Governor.
However, some political observers allege that shortcomings in the Commissioner- Nominees list. They noted that some Local Governments do not have any nominee on the list and that the Party was not represented.
The list also generated controversy across religious lines, as the Joint Muslim Group lamented that the list had just eight muslims as against Christians which 25 persons.
Damilola Atoyebi, a political analyst, said that the APC leadership has weighed into the cold war between Obasa and Sanwo Olu, but it is glaring that all is still not well. There is likely to be more crisis in the coming days if the leadership of the APC in the State and at the National Level do not quickly attend to this brewing crisis.
“What Governor Sanwo Olu is doing is basically to build a structure for himself and also have a say in the Lagos political terrain. Those he chose as Nominees for Commissioner – positions are his people and trusted persons who he can entrust the State in their hands when he relinquishes power in 2027.
“Governor Sanwo Olu is intimidated by the power Obasa possesses, so he is scheming and doing anything humanly possible to cut him to size. And with the look of things, Obasa will never succumb to his antics, likewise the Governor, who is bent on asserting his authority as the Governor of the State.
“It is glaring that we are sitting on a keg of gun powder in the State. President Tinubu is presently racking his brain to attend to the issues affecting the economy of the country, he doesn’t have time foe Lagos. The Federal needs urgent attention and his attention can’t be divided, that is why Obasa and Governor Sanwo Olu are scheming on each other.
“In the coming days you wil seel what will happen. Don’t be surprised if this degenerates into a likely impeachment of the Governor, because Obasa has control over the Lagos State House of Assembly. The Lawmakers are loyal to him, he has the wit, charisma and the political intrigues which Governor Sanwo Olu does not possess”, Atoyebi revealed.
Over the week, a reconciliation meeting was held between Obasa and Governor Sanwo Olu with APC stalwarts including members of the Governors Advisory Council, GAC, in attendance.
The body language of the concerned persons speak volumes, raising questions whether there would be a lasting solution to the ensuing crisis.
