Breaking News:GRV Slams APC for Intimidating Lagos Speaker Meranda, Tells Tinubu to Call Obasa to Order
The Lagos State House of Assembly has once again become a focal point of political tension as a heated leadership crisis unfolds. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV), the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 gubernatorial candidate, has strongly condemned the situation, labeling it a “show of shame” orchestrated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Rhodes-Vivour did not hold back in his criticism of the events that transpired on Monday. “The APC has sort of normalised this idea of using intimidation and force to get their way, and that is what we saw today,” he stated. “An attempt to intimidate the Speaker to resign and step aside using armed men and the threat of violence, and that is unacceptable.”
The crisis reached a boiling point when armed security operatives, drawn from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), stormed the Assembly complex, effectively barring Speaker Mojisola Meranda from entering for hours. When she finally took her seat, she fought back tears as lawmakers rallied around her, passing a vote of confidence in her leadership.
The leadership tussle within the Lagos Assembly stems from the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker and the subsequent election of Meranda, who made history as the first female Speaker of the House. However, Obasa has refused to accept his removal, branding it illegal and dragging the matter to court. Despite over 32 of the 40 lawmakers backing Meranda, the battle for control has only intensified.
Rhodes-Vivour expressed deep concerns about the use of force and intimidation in resolving political disputes, warning that it sets a dangerous precedent for governance in Lagos. He urged President Bola Tinubu and the influential Governors’ Advisory Council (GAC) to intervene and call Obasa to order before the crisis spirals further out of control.
“His (Obasa’s) leaders in the GAC, the President, should call him to order. Lagos State has advanced way past this. We don’t want to go to new lows. There are civilised ways to handle these things,” he asserted.
Beyond the leadership wrangling, GRV also pointed to a troubling pattern of selective justice, questioning why corruption allegations against the former Speaker have yet to be thoroughly investigated.
“It’s unfortunate that all the allegations that were brought before the former Speaker, all sorts of corruption allegations, we have not seen anything come out of it,” he noted, calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe Obasa’s tenure.
The ongoing drama at the Lagos Assembly is not just a political feud but a crucial test of democracy, governance, and the rule of law in Nigeria’s economic nerve center. For many Lagosians, the real concern is whether their elected representatives are truly working for their interests or merely engaged in a battle for political survival.