Prince Tajudeen Olusi, the Chairman,
Governance Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos State says council was not consulted
before impeaching Mr Mudashiru Obasa as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of
Assembly.
Olusi, speaking with newsmen in an interview at his
residence on Friday, said that lawmakers neither consulted the party nor the
council.
He said that the council should not be dragged into
the leadership crisis that saw the removal of Obasa and his replacement by the
Deputy Speaker, Mrs Mojisola Meranda.
“Members of the GAC are not members of the Lagos State
House of Assembly to allegedly be behind the removal of Obasa. It can’t be
true.
“We read it also that morning. The lawmakers carried
it out without consulting the party and those of us in the GAC. That is our
position.
“We invited all of them and insisted that all of them
are products of the party. They lodged their complaints and we listened to
them.
“I blamed them for one thing and that is for not
lodging the complaints earlier before the party.
“It is for the party to decide, they (lawmakers) have
no absolute power to remove and install their leaders.
“Nobody can become a member of the House of Assembly
unless sponsors by a political party and the sponsors are the inspectors,”
Olusi said.
The APC apex leader said that the speakership crisis
in the House remained a problem between Obasa and his colleagues in the House.
“The problem is the speaker (Obasa) and his colleagues
which had led to his removal. It is a disputer among them,” he added.
He said no organ of government was totally independent
of the other, adding that the party, GAC and another high powered committee set
up was working tirelessly to resolve the dispute.
“Currently, there is a high powered committee of the
party led by Chief Bisi Akande and members, including Aremo Olusegun Osoba, and
former APC National Vice Chairman, South-west, Chief Pius Akinyelure and
others,
“They are working and making efforts to resolve the
matter. I know they are in consultation with the House of Assembly, Obasa and
the other Speaker, Mrs Mojisola Lasbat Meranda.
“Those of us in the GAC and the Chairman of the Party,
Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi are doing all within our power to assist the
committee,” he added.
Speaking on dissenting views expressed by some members
of the GAC, Olusi said that those who spoke expressed their individual views,
which they were entitled to, not the GAC’s.
“One day, and very soon the matter will be settled.
Dispute and differences are fact of life and dispute resolution and party
mechanisms are also there.
“You leave us alone, as a party we are conscious of
our responsibility and that of the House of Assembly; we are going to do all
within our powers to resolve the dispute,
“The overall responsibility is on the party,” he
added.
Freedomonline recalls that the leadership crisis
took a new dimension on Thursday when the impeached speaker stormed the
Assembly and insisted that he was never removed
Obasa, who spoke with reporters shortly after he
arrived the assembly complex with some security personnel, said that he had
returned to the assembly to take charge.
The visit was Obasa’s first appearance at the complex
after he was impeached by his colleagues in January over alleged misconduct and
financial impropriety.
The impeached speaker returned on a day the security
details of Mrs Mojisola Meranda, were withdrawn.
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