The All Progressives Congress in Lagos State has clarified that the resignation of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, M,r. Mudashiru Obasa, was not part of the terms of settlement reached to resolve the leadership crisis in the House.
This clarification comes as Obasa held a peace parley on Tuesday to reconcile with his aggrieved colleagues, barely 24 hours after his re-election as Speaker.
Recall that on Monday, lawmakers re-elected Obasa after Mrs. Mosisili Meranda stepped down from the position. The resolution followed a meeting convened by the Governor’s Advisory Council, led by its chairman, Pa Tajudeen Olusi, alongside APC chairman Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, and other party leaders. The meeting aimed to resolve the crisis sparked by the removal of Obasa by 34 aggrieved lawmakers.
Speculations had emerged that the settlement terms included Meranda’s resignation and Obasa’s return as Speaker, with the latter expected to step down after 48 hours to pave the way for a new Speaker from Lagos West, as demanded by the aggrieved lawmakers. However, the APC has dismissed these claims.
Reacting to the speculations, the APC spokesman in Lagos, Seye Oladejo, stated that Obasa’s resignation was never part of the settlement terms.
He said, “To the best of my knowledge, there was no time the arrangement for Obasa to resign came up in the terms of settlement of the crisis.”
When asked if Obasa would drop the lawsuit against his colleagues, Oladejo confirmed that the Speaker would withdraw the case in the interest of peace and progress.
He said, “I’m aware that any moment from now, Obasa will withdraw the lawsuit in the interest of renewed peace and progress of the House in particular and the party in general.”
On Tuesday, Obasa held a closed-door reconciliation meeting with 39 lawmakers at the Assembly complex. The meeting, which began at about 2:10 pm, was attended by the Deputy Speaker, Mrs. Mosisili Meranda, and aimed to calm tensions and foster unity among the lawmakers.
A credible source revealed that Obasa is expected to drop the lawsuit against the House of Assembly and the 33 lawmakers filed at the Ikeja Court. The source also disclosed that the House has been mandated to resume plenary on Wednesday.
As of press time, the meeting was still ongoing, with lawmakers working to address the grievances that led to the crisis and ensure a smooth resumption of legislative activities.
The developments mark a significant step toward resolving the leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly, with the APC and key stakeholders emphasizing the importance of unity and progress for the party and the state.