Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, is under intense pressure to step down following the removal of two principal officers, Hon. Rotimi Abiru and Hon. Olumuyiwa Jimoh as chief whip and deputy majority leader.
The house had also suspended two other members including Hon. Moshood Oshun and Hon. Raheem Kazeem indefinitely from the Assembly over what it described as gross misconduct, insubordination and actions capable of destabilising the house.
Since the removal and suspension of the lawmakers, things are no longer at ease in the house. A source described their removal as an alleged plot against Lagos East Senator, Adebayo Oshinowo, popularly known as 'Pepper'. Oshinowo is a former member of the state Assembly where he served 3 terms.
Fresh reports however, have it that following the development in the house, some power brokers in Lagos and Abuja within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are already planning to remove Obasa as speaker over allegation of lack of transparency and high-handedness.
Obasa had earlier described the removal of two principal officers of the House and suspension of two other members as a measure to ensure that the legislature remained strengthened and its sanctity maintained. “The parliament is a heartbeat of every democratic system. Its sanctity, integrity and positive reputation should be guided and protected, hence discipline is a key and where it’s lacking, the hope of the people fizzles. “Therefore, instilling discipline among members of the State House of Assembly does not equate with friction in any form between him and members of the party,” he said. He has also denied having any feud with Sen. Oshinowo.
Last Thursday, the house inaugurated a committee headed by Hon. Ibrahim Layode to look into the crisis surrounding the suspension of four lawmakers by the House.
-Additional reports from Daily Trust