Group chides Obasa for alleged disrespect to Sanwo-Olu as Tinubu, GAC move to settle rift

The silent rift between the governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt (Hon) Mudashiru Obasa has again gained the attention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Governance Advisory Council (GAC).

Sources within the Lagos APC informed WESTERN POST that Tinubu and the leadership of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) chaired by the elderstatesman, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi called a meeting few days ago to Bourdillion to broker peace between Sanwo-Olu and Obasa.

According to the sources, both Sanwo-Olu and Obasa were given opportunity to air their views but that Tinubu at the end of it all, scolded the Speaker for his behavior towards Governor Sanwo-Olu.

Tinubu was said to have again warned Obasa not to disrespect Sanwo-Olu and his office moving forward, re-emphasising the importance of respecting the office of the governor.

Sources said the President criticised Obasa for poor political management particularly as regards to a recent bill that would allow the Assembly to sack the chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).

It would be recalled that the House of Assembly is yet to approve the names of nominees for LASIEC sent by Sanwo-Olu months ago to the lawmakers in preparation for local government elections in 2025.

Also, the Obasa led House of Assembly is yet to conclude on the amendment to the Lagos Local Government Law wherein the House is proposing Administrative Secretaries for the 37 LCDAs in replacement for elected Executive Chairmen and Councillors.

The amendment had sparked reactions and pushback from major stakeholders in the APC and Lagos State at large.

Meanwhile, A pro-Lagos advocacy group, Eko United, has condemned the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, for his alleged unceasing disrespect to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the office of the governor of Lagos State.

Leader of the group, Bolakale Akano, said last night, that they also suspected that a camp loyal Obasa, might have leaked details of the Friday meeting between President Bola Tinubu and select members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos, to secure sympathy of the president.

The group though blamed leaders of the APC and its affiliate organs for allowing such a situation tarry for so long without reining in the speaker, he added that they all must share in the blame of what has been going on in the state.

“It would be the first time that a thing of this nature is happening in the state and we believe the decent nature of the governor prompted Obasa to outstep his bounds.

“Would he have tried that with any of the former governors? He would not even moot the idea. But because of the governor’s nice and kind nature, he thinks he can ride roughshod over him? Impossible!” he said.

The group, however, maintained that the details of the Friday meeting with Tinubu, which many sources had claimed were correct, could not have been divulged by other senior and mature members of the ruling class in the state except by the camp on the receiving end.

Akano said it was unfortunate that details of a meeting at that level would be leaked just because of “a man’s desperation to unpack the pieces of the mess he consciously created,” adding that the strategy had failed from inception.