The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims that Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, was expected to resign as part of a deal to resolve the ongoing leadership crisis in the House
Speaking on Tuesday, Lagos APC spokesperson Seye Oladejo refuted reports that Obasa’s resignation was included in the agreement reached to settle the crisis.
“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,” Oladejo told Vanguard.
He, however, confirmed that Obasa is set to withdraw his lawsuit against the Assembly in a bid to restore peace and stability.
“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,” he added.
On Tuesday, Obasa held a closed-door meeting with 39 lawmakers at the assembly complex, including Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda.
The meeting, which began at about 2:10 p.m., aimed to ease tensions and bring aggrieved lawmakers back on board.
This development followed Obasa’s re-election as Speaker on Monday after Meranda resigned from the deputy speaker position.
In January, Obasa was removed as Speaker after lawmakers accused him of poor leadership, abuse of power, frequent lateness to plenary sessions, and intimidation of colleagues. More than 90 per cent of the lawmakers supported the impeachment.
Obasa rejected the decision, arguing that due process was not followed. He also denied allegations of financial misappropriation, calling them “impossible.”
To resolve the impasse, the Governor’s Advisory Council, led by Pa Tajudeen Olusi, alongside APC chairman Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, Lagos Attorney-General Lawal Pedro, and other party leaders, intervened and brokered a settlement.
There have been speculations that part of the agreement involved Meranda stepping down to pave the way for Obasa’s return as Speaker.
However, sources claim that Obasa was also expected to resign within 48 hours to allow a new Speaker from Lagos West, in line with demands from 34 lawmakers.