Dismisses Panel’s Resignation Recommendation
- Safiu Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his support for reinstated Lagos House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, as he dismissed panel’s recommendation of his voluntary resignation.
NPO reported that the President had yesterday held a closed-door meeting with all members of the Lagos Assembly, including former Speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
Recall that the Assembly had, in January, impeached Obasa and replaced him with Meranda, who was his deputy prior to the impeachment.
Obasa’s rejection of the impeachment threw the Assembly into crisis which stretched for weeks until Tinubu’s intervention and establishment of a panel led by former governors of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, and Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, to look into the case.
Tinubu had again intervened following the reinstatement of Obasa by the panel.
The panel had, alongside the leadership of the Governance Advisory Council, advised that Obasa to voluntarily step down after being reinstated.
This was rejected by the President yesterday as he reiterated that Obasa remains Speaker of the House.
According to report, Tinubu advised the Speaker to carry his colleagues along in the scheme of things henceforth.
He also charged Obasa to withdraw the lawsuit he had filed against them following his removal from office in January.
Obasa reportedly declined to speak with the State House correspondents.
However, one the lawmakers, whose name was not disclosed, confirmed that it was agreed that Obasa would remain the speaker.
“Obasa is staying, and we have no choice but to obey the President. The meeting was more of a family meeting.
“It was more of a family matter. Mr President condemned his (Obasa’s) actions not to parley with us.
“He said that since we did not carry him along in the removal of Obasa and that it was only Obasa that came to report the matter to him, he had no choice but to support him.
“He also warned him that if there were any future complaints from any quarters, he would be gone.
“The President said he should let peace reign; and so, based on that, we have accepted and instructed him to withdraw his lawsuit from the court.” He said.