President Bola Tinubu refused to grant audience to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu following the fall-out that trailed the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, TheScrutiny has gathered.
While in the United States, Obasa, representing Agege Constituency 1 was on January 13 removed by 33 out of the 40 lawmakers that make up the House on grounds of alleged gross misconduct and abuse of office. He was replaced by his deputy, Mojisola Meranda.
Upon his return to the country, the former speaker faulted the process for his removal, saying that it did not follow due process. Shortly after, some of the lawmakers who also participated in his removal were interrogated and detained by the Department of State Services (DSS).
A close associate of the president in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) confirmed to our correspondent that President Tinubu sees Obasa’s removal as a ‘coup’ and affront on his leadership as he was not aware and never gave directives to the assembly members to remove the former speaker from office.
He said while the president has no issues with Obasa’s removal, he was particularly miffed that the decision can be made without his knowledge as the apex leader of the party in the state and in his capacity as the president of the country.
‘COUP PLOT IN LAGOS APC’
“The President has no problem with Obasa’s removal. Obasa met him (Tinubu) after his removal and he actually told him to accept his fate and move on as the speakership position is not his family title. He told him pointblank that his colleagues elected as him as Speaker thrice and if they now said they don’t want him anymore, so be it”.
“The only grouse the president has with the whole issue is the political implication it may have on his presidency, especially at a point the opposition forces are doing everything to oust him from office. He was miffed that the lawmakers in his homebase could remove the Speaker without his knowledge”.
“He was also worried that Lagos State is gradually slipping away from him. Don’t forget the fact that he lost Lagos to the opposition during the last presidential election. In fact, the belief is that if any state is in political turmoil, it shouldn’t be the homebase of the president because if you can’t put your house in order, how can you put the country in order?”
In fact, the president said for his political career and future, they should bring back the speaker and allow him to resign but he also doesn’t want Meranda to continue as speaker because in the spirit of power rotation among the three senatorial districts, the governor and the speaker cannot come from Lagos Central senatorial district.
“The president actually told some of his closest allies that Obasa’s removal was a coup against him. If the Speaker can be removed without his knowledge, then it’s as good as removing him from decision-making in Lagos politics just because he is now based in Abuja with myriads of national issues to contend with. The president is afraid that there might have been some quiet revolution going on behind him which may erode his own leadership in his homebase, Lagos. That was why he vowed that if they could remove the Speaker without his knowledge, let there be some consequence. He believes that if there are consequences for such actions, they will not try that in future”.
SANWO-OLU’S INVOLVEMENT AND DSS INTERVENTION
When Obasa was removed without the president’s knowledge, our correspondent gathered that President Tinubu, alongside his confidants suspected that Governor Sanwo-Olu might have masterminded and bankrolled the process given his no-love-lost relationship with the former speaker.
It was also gathered that a very livid President Tinubu who sees the development as an affront on his leadership said Sanwo-Olu too must vacate office as Lagos state governor.
However, some party elders, especially in the GAC were said to have made a case for the governor, describing him as a level-headed person whose loyalty to the president and the party has never been in doubt.
Our correspondent gathered that it was one of the major reasons the DSS invited and interrogated some of the lawmakers to know the level of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s involvement. The governor was absolved of any wrongdoing.
“Shortly after Obasa’s removal, the first thing the president said was that Governor Sanwo-Olu should also be removed. He said if Obasa is going, then the governor too should go. That caused a major disagreement and the party elders had to go to the president and appeal to him. In fact, when Governor Sanwo-Olu went to Abuja, he (Tinubu) refused to grant him audience” our source added.
“It was also one of the things he (Tinubu) was said to have told the DSS that if the Speaker can removed and the DSS is not aware, they will likely not be aware if he is removed as president in Abuja. That was what forced the DSS to detain some of the lawmakers that were involved in the impeachment process”.
“They also wanted to see to what extent Governor Sanwo-Olu was involved in the removal of the Speaker. When the lawmakers were drilled by the DSS, they maintained that it was entirely their decision and the governor was not aware. They stated that they are fed up with Obasa’s draconian leadership and wanted him out but that they deliberately didn’t inform the governor as he may want to brief the president, who in turn will not approve the move”.
“The governor can’t be involved really because he doesn’t have any control over the House. The assembly members defer to the GAC and Tinubu. Since becoming governor in 2019, he has focused on governance while leaving political matters to the GAC and party elders who chose him as Ambode’s replacement”.
“So, from what we have gathered, the governor has no hand in the removal even though he and Obasa are not in good terms. It is the GAC, led by Papa Tajudeen Olusi that wanted to deal with Obasa. That explains why the GAC is currently divided because majority of them wanted Obasa to go as they have had enough of him. He has been very rude to them. He once walked out of them during a meeting”.
“However, while many of the GAC members are not pleased with the former speaker and wanted him removed, the decision to remove him was not a consensus one and that was why there was division among the GAC members, with some supporting his removal and others saying it was illegal”.
‘I NEVER WALKED OUT ON GAC LEADERSHIP’ – OBASA
Speaking with our correspondent, Obasa denied ever walking out of any meeting with the GAC leaders.
‘No, I never did that. I am a loyal party member with utmost respect for our leader, President Bola Tinubu, our party leaders and elders” he said.
Also speaking with our correspondent, Chairman GAC, Prince Tajudeen Olusi debunked reports that the body is mounting pressures on members of the Lagos State House of Assembly to return Obasa to his position.
Olusi said while the GAC is working to resolve the crisis in the assembly, there is no pressure from anywhere that Obasa’s removal be reversed.
“There are no pressures from anyone to return the former Speaker to his position. But it is public knowledge that there is a dispute in the Lagos State House of Assembly between (Mudashiru) Obasa and the members”.
“The GAC is an organ created by our party for smooth running of governance in Lagos. The House of Assembly is an arm of government as established by our constitution. So, if there is a dispute, division or disagreement within the House, it is the responsibility of the party to find a way of resolving it”.
“Many times, the party uses the GAC to find a lasting solution to such disagreement. Currently, the GAC is working on the dispute within the House of Assembly. For the time being, we want to be left alone. At the appropriate time, we shall issue necessary press statement”.
Our correspondent also gathered that the assembly members have agreed to meet with the president and apologise for not briefing before removing Obasa from office.
