Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the umbrella of Progressives Alliance (PA) have kicked against the emergence of Hon. Mojisola Meranda as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Hon. Meranda emerged as the speaker following the removal of the erstwhile Speaker, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa on January 13.
The group also criticised the role played by members of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) of All Progressives Congress, Lagos West, which, according to it, was not satisfactory.
Convener of the group, Hon. Segun Banjo described the change in the leadership of the Assembly from Lagos West to Lagos Central, as injustice and ill-treatment of the party members from the zone.
Banjo noted that out of the 40 lawmakers in the State House of Assembly, 20 of them are from the West, adding that one lawmaker from the zone should have been elected to occupy the Speakership position in the spirit of justice and fairness.
He said, “We have no issue with Obasa’s removal. Our concern is that the lawmakers in electing Meranda as the new Speaker were not well guided.
“It is appalling and disturbing that they passed over all the eminently qualified 20 lawmakers from our zone, which has the largest electoral asset in terms of votes and membership of the APC and handed it over to Lagos Central where Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also comes from.
“It’s nowhere in the House’s rule book that if a Speaker is removed, his replacement must be his deputy.Â
“Furthermore, examples of political correctness guided by fair distribution of political offices that address both religious and sectional interests are abounds in the political space in Nigeria,”
The aggrieved members also reproached GAC members from West, saying, “It’s scandalous that Alhaji Mutiu Aare; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Adejoke Adefulire Adejoke; former minister of state for defence, Musiliu Obanikoro; APC State Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi; Prince Rabiu Adio Oluwa; and former state Chairman, Chief Henry Oladele Ajomale would sit by and allow the Speakership position to slip away from our hands. In any case, we leave them to posterity to judge them.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman House Committee on Information, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe has declared that members of the Lagos State House of Assembly are solidly behind Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda is the 10th speaker of the House.
Ogundipe made the declaration while reacting to the claim by the ousted Speaker of the House, Hon Mudashiru Obasa that he remained the speaker. He affirmed the position of the House on the impeachment noting that nothing has changed.
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