In a surprising development, the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) is set to meet today to nominate three lawmakers from Lagos West Senatorial District to replace Hon. Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker. This move comes after the election of Hon. Mojisola Meranda as Speaker reportedly didn’t sit well with the APC leadership.
To recap, Obasa was removed as Speaker on January 13 by 32 out of 40 Assembly members, who cited allegations of fraud and high-handedness. Meranda was then installed as Speaker, but her tenure may be short-lived as she’s expected to step down and revert to her previous position as Deputy Speaker.
The GAC is seeking to maintain regional balance by selecting a new Speaker from the Lagos West Senatorial District, where Obasa hails from. Eight ranking lawmakers from Lagos West are in the running for the position:
Hon. Setonji David (Badagry 2)
Hon. Temitope Adewale (Ifako-Ijaye 1)
Hon. Kehinde Joseph (Alimosho 1)
Hon. Richard Kasunmu (Ikeja 2)
Hon. Lukmon Olumoh (Ajeromi-Ifelodun 1)
Hon. Age Sulaimon (Amuwo-Odofin 2)
Hon. Surajudeen Tijani (Ojo 2)
Hon. Nureni Akinsanya (Mushin 2)
From these eight lawmakers, the GAC will nominate three, one of whom will be elected as the new Speaker. The plot thickens in the Lagos House of Assembly leadership crisis!
