Lagos House of Assembly
Lagos Assembly Crisis: GAC Chairman Says Lawmakers Lack Sole Authority to Remove Speaker
Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos State and a prominent APC leader, has stated that members of the Lagos State House of Assembly do not have the exclusive power to install or remove the assembly’s leadership.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Olusi emphasized that such decisions cannot be made unilaterally by the lawmakers.
“Members of the GAC are not part of the Lagos State House of Assembly and cannot be behind the removal of Speaker Obasa. That claim is untrue,” Olusi said.
He added that the lawmakers acted without consulting the party or the GAC, stressing that the party holds the ultimate authority in such matters.
“We invited all of them and reminded them that they are products of the party. They presented their complaints, and we listened. However, I faulted them for not raising these issues with the party earlier. The party has the final say; lawmakers do not have absolute power to remove or install their leaders,” Olusi explained.
The crisis deepened as both Mudashiru Obasa and Mojisola Lasbat Meranda now lay claim to the speakership.
Olusi acknowledged that internal discord among Obasa and his colleagues led to his removal, describing it as a dispute within the assembly.
To resolve the impasse, a high-powered committee of the party, led by Chief Bisi Akande and including prominent figures such as Aremo Olusegun Osoba and former APC National Vice Chairman (South-west) Chief Pius Akinyelure, has been established.
Olusi revealed that the committee is actively engaging with the House of Assembly, Obasa, and Meranda to find a resolution.
“Those of us in the GAC, alongside the party’s chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, are working to support the committee’s efforts to restore order,” Olusi added.
The party and GAC are collaborating to address the leadership dispute and bring stability back to the assembly.
