Obasa has no rivalry yet for third term speakership, says Lagos lawmaker

Thirty-nine lawmakers-elect of the Lagos State House of Assembly have reportedly endorsed the return of incumbent Speaker, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, to lead the 10th Assembly.

A member of the Assembly, Adewale Temitope, who represents Ifako Ijaiye Constituency 1, spoke against the backdrop of reports, which claimed that the lawmaker representing Epe Constituency 1, Abiodun Tobun, had thrown his hat into the speakership race.

Adewale, who is chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, said the endorsement of Obasa followed a resolution reached by the lawmakers-elect to have Obasa continue as leader of the Assembly.

Speaking during an interaction with the media yesterday, Adewale said the state was fortunate to have Obasa, whom he said had succeeded in changing the face of legislative practice in Lagos.

“We now have a Lagos Assembly that other states visit to learn from. We have bills that have been studied by the National Assembly. We have laws that have shaped our state in favour of the people.

“Through his leadership style, lawmakers are now, more than before, closer to their constituents because we see him living in the midst of his people in Agege and making sure he reaches out to every individual that seeks his attention.”

But the said report claimed that a particular member of the highest body of All Progressives Congress (APC), Governance Advisory Council (GAC), disclosed that Tobun’s declaration for the seat has the backing of the party elders, most especially those from Lagos East and Lagos Central.

It was reported that the elders would soon meet to make their stand known to the stakeholders.

The GAC member explained that there was no factor that could be considered to stop the shift of the Speakership position to Lagos East, saying that it was the reason the elders were backing Tobun’s aspiration.

However, if the justice, equity and balance are to prevail, Lagos Central had already produced Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Lagos East, which has the deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat cannot again get the speaker while Lagos West gets nothing.

Moreover, Tobun is part of the 39 lawmakers-elect, who endorsed Obasa while nothing has been heard about speakership tussle in Lagos.

According to Adewale, “I can tell you there is nobody who will challenge him successfully. If you are talking about loyalty, he is very loyal to the party, he is loyal to the elders of Lagos and loyal to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Above all, he continues to uphold the tenets of democracy.

“This is a man who has practised everything you call legislature and he has been impacting knowledge in everyone of us. Moreover, we are going into the 10th Assembly with a House that has many new members.”