Lagos Assembly crisis: Give peace a chance, IPAC tells Obasa

Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos State has called on the impeached Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, to give peace a chance.

Chairperson of IPAC in the state, Mrs Temilola Akinade, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

NAN recalls that the speakership crisis began on Jan. 13 when 32 out of the 40-member assembly removed Obasa and replaced him with Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda.

The crisis, however, escalated on Monday when operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and armed police officers sealed the offices of the new speaker and the deputy speaker as well as the chamber.

Akinade said that the umbrella body of political parties in the state was embarrassed by the latest development that interrupted the legislative process on Monday.

She described disruption of legislative activities at the assembly over leadership crisis as unacceptable.

“IPAC will no more accept distraction at the Lagos State House of Assembly. It is enough in the assembly that prides itself above the common standard of excellence.

“The outgone speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, has done his best for the state; let him calm down and give peace a chance.

“The impeached speaker (Obasa) should allow Madam Speaker (Meranda) to continue from where he has stopped.

“The law allows lawmakers to choose one of them as the speaker and so, the overwhelming number of them have spoken and chosen Mojisola Meranda to lead them.

“We should not allow personal or group interest to destroy democracy in the state. Care must be taken,” she said.

Decrying the emotional stress the new speaker had been subjected to, the IPAC boss said that the leadership crisis must come to an end.

“The emotional stress Madam Speaker is going through now needs to come to an end for her to perform her legislative and leadership role, as being expected.

“For more than two-thirds of the 40-member legislative arm to pass a vote of confidence in her, this show she has the legitimacy.

“We have seen physically and with video evidence that both workers and lawmakers in the assembly believe in her and want her leadership,” she stated.