Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Advisory Council (GAC) is wading into the crisis rocking the House of Assembly, it was learnt on Sunday.
The party leaders were alarmed at the decision of the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, to wield the big stick against four legislators without prior consultation with the party leadership.
According to party sources, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and party chairman, Tunde Balogun, were not carried along by the Speaker.
Many GAC members expressed surprise that the decision to indefinitely suspend Moshood Oshun (Lagos Mainland) and Raheem Adewale (Ibeju/Lekki) was taken without recourse to the party.
Also, Rotimi Abiru (Somolu) was dropped as Chief Whip and Olumuyiwa Jimoh as Deputy Majority Leader.
The shake-up, it was learnt, was the fallout of the rift between Obass and Senator Bayo Pepper Osinowo, a former member of the House. The affected lawmakers are said to be close to the senator, who is one of the leaders of the Mandate Group, an influential caucus within the Lagos APC.
Osinnowo played a role in Obasa’s emergence as Speaker.
The bone of contention was the manner in which cars were purchased for the lawmakers. But, sources said there were personal issues tearing apart the lawmakers.
Oshun, who was not allowed entry into the House, has reported the matter to some leaders in Lagos Central. Jimoh was said to have reported his ordeal to the Interior Minister, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
Abiru’s office was temporarily sealed off and his personal aides were denied entry.
Osinnowo, on hearing the news, was said to be perplexed, and he vowed to fight back, the source said.
GAC leader Prince Oluyole Olusi was inundated with complaints about the tension in the House, immediately the news about the harsh sanctions broke out.
Among party elders who called him was Chief Lanre Rasak, who pleaded with him to urgently resolve the imbroglio.
Olusi was said to have doubted whether the leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is abroad, was consulted by the Speaker.
According to Olusi, the timing was bad, as it coincided with a period of storm and stress at the national level when some party stalwarts were plotting the removal of the national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshionhole, in bad faith.
He felt that insinuation may now be made that the Lagos APC has been seized by internal contradictions and self-inflicted crisis. He berated the lawmakers for their insensitivity.
In his view, if the crisis persist, it may be illogically interpreted as an explosion in Tinubu’s Lagos political base by foes who may deliberately blow the matter out of proportion.
Following the suspension, Olusi had mandated another GAC member, Alhaji Mutiu Are, to conduct a preliminary investigation and report back to him.
Also, when the elder statesman contacted the party chairman, Balogun, he reported to him that Obasa met with the governor, deputy governor and himself at the Government House, Alausa, Ikeja, after firing his colleagues.
Balogun reiterated his opinion that the punishment was too harsh, considering the fact that the lawmakers are loyal party members and partners in progress with the Speaker in the House.
He told Olusi that the matter can still be resolved, following the timely intervention of party elders.
A source said a meeting has been slated for this week to hear the grievances of the Speaker and his sacked colleagues.
