There are indications that President Bola Tinubu’s decades-long political dynasty in Lagos is experiencing its first major crisis following the intrigues surrounding the removal of the embattled lawmaker, Mudasiru Obasa, as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Obasa’s removal and the support given to the lawmakers by many Governance Advisory Council members without consulting Tinubu signal an unexpected political move within the All Progressives Congress, a party where the President remains the state and national leader.
Previously, it was widely believed that the President approved Obasa’s removal before the state lawmakers took action.
However, sources close to Tinubu and familiar with Lagos APC politics revealed that the President was not consulted before the lawmakers took the decision.
According to the sources, the President was embarrassed that such a significant political move was executed without his knowledge and was puzzled why many GAC members would support the decision.
Obasa who was removed as Speaker on January 13 by 36 lawmakers over allegations of misconduct, abuse of office, and financial mismanagement.
The Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, was immediately sworn in as the new Speaker, while the Chief Whip, Mojeed Fatai, was elected as the new Deputy Speaker.
Obasa, who had also been Speaker since 2015 and represents Agege Constituency I, insisted upon his return to Lagos from the United States that he remained the speaker.
His removal has since divided the GAC caucus and the APC in Lagos.
To assert his authority, President Tinubu, according to sources, directed GAC members to persuade Lagos lawmakers to reinstate Obasa and allow him to resign.
It was gathered that the GAC members held a marathon meeting on Monday at the Governor’s Lodge in Marina, Lagos, where they conveyed the President’s directive to the lawmakers.
However, despite apologising to Tinubu at the meeting and reaffirming their loyalty to the President, the lawmakers reportedly insisted that Obasa would not be reinstated.
Of the 39 lawmakers present at the meeting, 37 voted against Obasa’s reinstatement.
It was gathered that the members agreed to write a letter of apology to the President explaining why Obasa could not be reinstated.
A viral video on social media showed some APC members dancing and singing praises of the new Lagos Assembly Speaker, urging her to continue her speakership.
According to sources, six GAC members chosen across the three senatorial districts of the state travelled to Abuja on Wednesday to deliver the lawmakers’ letter to Tinubu.
However, for undisclosed reasons, they were unable to meet with the President.
Providing insight into the crisis, a prominent APC chieftain with knowledge of the ongoing intrigues described the development as a major political challenge for Tinubu.
According to the source, the Lagos progressive family would never remain the same due to the political machinations.
He explained that the crisis was driven by three major political factors: the 2027 governorship election, the rivalry between the Justice Forum and Mandate caucuses within the APC, and the ambitions of Lagos indigenes to dominate the state’s political structure.
It was learned that Obasa belonged to the Mandate group, while many of the lawmakers and GAC members were affiliated with the Justice Forum.
The APC chieftain stated that many GAC members, particularly Lagos indigenes, initiated Obasa’s removal to stifle his governorship ambition.
He also noted that the power struggle between the Mandate group and the Justice Forum over the control of the party’s structure ahead of the 2027 elections played a significant role in Obasa’s ouster.
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