Bite the bullet and step down honourably—Lagos group tells Obasa in rejoinder to Banire
A group, the De-Renaissance Patriots Foundation, has advised the reinstated Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudasiru Obasa, to resign in the interest of democracy and the rule of law.
According to the group, the reinstated speaker would be better off resigning as he has lost control of the Assembly, adding that his ongoing leadership, which they said is being imposed by outside political forces, threatens the integrity of democracy.
In a rejoinder to the former APC National Legal Adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN), titled Setting the Record Straight, the De-Renaissance Patriots Foundation accused Banire of justifying Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba’s intervention in the Lagos Assembly crisis, insisting the two leaders’ involvement “ultimately undermined the democratic aspirations of the indigenous people of Lagos State.”
The De-Renaissance Patriots Foundation described Chief Akande and Osoba’s intervention as an intrusion and interference by outside political forces, stressing that the decision to “reinstate Speaker Mudashiru Obasa at the expense of Hon. Meranda, an indigene, effectively disregarded the will of Lagosians,” crushing the aspirations of the indigenous people of Lagos and going down in history as a betrayal of democratic values.
According to the group, Dr. Banire’s insinuation that Chief Akande and Aremo Osoba safeguarded the rights of native Lagos residents by mediating a settlement in which Hon. Meranda was forced to step down and Obasa was restored as Speaker appears contradictory, contending that an indigenous representative’s forced resignation, despite the immense support she got, cannot be justified as a protective measure.
The De-Renaissance Patriots Foundation accused Dr. Banire of attempts to absolve the two elder statesmen of any involvement in the marginalisation of indigenous Lagosians, describing his position as defensive of outside forces and clearly not in line with the fight for justice, equity, and representation for indigenous people in Lagos.
While maintaining that the way forward in the Lagos Assembly political imbroglio is for Obasa to bite the bullet and resign honourably, the group urged Dr. Banire to realign himself with the fight for the political emancipation of Lagos natives as he did under Chief Gani Fawehinmi of blessed memory, saying history will remember those who stood for justice and equity.
