Presidency provides Chartered Flight For Lagos Assembly Lawmakers To Abuja For Emergency Meeting Amid Leadership Crisis, Obasa’s Return
SaharaReporters gathered from credible sources that Tinubu, in his capacity as the ultimate power broker in Lagos politics, personally intervened by inviting all members of the Assembly to the nation’s capital.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arranged a chartered flight to take all members of the Lagos State House of Assembly to Abuja in a last-ditch effort to resolve the deepening leadership crisis among the lawmakers.
SaharaReporters gathered from credible sources that Tinubu, in his capacity as the ultimate power broker in Lagos politics, personally intervened by inviting all members of the Assembly to the nation’s capital.
The move follows the controversial reinstatement of impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, which has sparked outrage among lawmakers and further exposed rifts within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sources privy to the development confirmed to SaharaReporters that Tinubu’s intervention is aimed at finding a lasting solution to the power tussle within the Assembly.
“Asiwaju (President Tinubu) has invited the Honourable members to Abuja today (Wednesday) and even made available a chartered plane to convey them,” a source disclosed.
The urgency of the meeting suggests that Tinubu is scrambling to restore stability in a legislative house now divided into factions, with many lawmakers still resisting Obasa’s return.
One of the sources added: “Let’s hope the President will redeem himself with this latest invitation of the members and not further intimidate them.”
SaharaReporters learned that the lawmakers arrived at the Presidential Villa for the meeting around 3:00 PM on Wednesday.
The comment alludes to fears that rather than allowing lawmakers to freely determine their leadership, Tinubu may be attempting to impose a decision that serves his political interests.
The crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly did not start overnight. The initial impeachment of Obasa on January 13 sent shockwaves through Lagos politics. Lawmakers accused him of corruption, financial mismanagement, and an autocratic style of leadership.
His removal was hailed as a bold step towards accountability in the state’s legislature.
However, Obasa, a longtime political ally of Tinubu, did not go down without a fight. He dismissed the impeachment as illegal and politically motivated, rallying support from APC powerbrokers, who saw his removal as a dangerous precedent that could embolden lawmakers to challenge party authority.
For weeks, Obasa and his loyalists worked behind the scenes to orchestrate a return, despite opposition from the majority of the Assembly members.
Following Obasa’s impeachment, Mojisola Meranda was installed as Speaker, marking a shift in the Assembly’s leadership. However, her tenure was short-lived, as pressure from APC leaders, including Tinubu and Lagos APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, mounted on her to step down.
Sources confirmed that APC leaders were relentless in their bid to reinstate Obasa, ignoring the protests of lawmakers who saw the move as a betrayal of their fight against corruption.
The APC leaders and President Tinubu maintained that the party’s interest should override the democratic process of electing speakership at the assembly.
By the end of the day, Meranda succumbed to the pressure, clearing the way for Obasa’s return despite fierce opposition within the Assembly. She was later compensated with the post of a Deputy Speaker.
Also, Fouad Oki, a prominent APC chieftain, had also revealed how President Tinubu attempted to mediate the crisis but was met with resistance from Obasa himself.
Speaking on a Channels TV programme, Oki recounted how Tinubu intervened after members of the APC’s Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) raised concerns about the Assembly’s leadership battle.
“Before the president came home, this issue had been lingering. In the wisdom of members of the GAC, the president’s attention was called,” Oki said.
“The president, as father and leader, called a meeting wherein he tried to make sense of the observations raised by elders of the party. Unfortunately, the president saw by himself a recalcitrant Obasa. I think that is what broke the camel’s back.”
