There may finally be an end in sight to the lingering political crisis that has rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly following the removal of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa on January 13 by 32 lawmakers.
While several names have been put forward as possible replacements for the ousted Speaker, one name stands out as the favorite for the highly coveted position—Hon. Temitope Adewale.
Representing the people of Ifako-Ijaiye I at the State Assembly, he was, until Obasa’s removal, the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and later became the Majority Leader of the House following the ascension of Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda as Speaker.
He hails from the same Ikeja Division as the ousted Speaker, making it likely that Obasa’s replacement will also come from the same division of the senatorial district. This is particularly relevant since the senator representing Lagos West, Senator Idiat Adebule, and the APC State Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, are both from the Badagry Division.
A highly placed source in the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), a think tank group set up by President Bola Tinubu during his tenure as Governor of Lagos State, dismissed the speculation surrounding Hon. Setonji David, who represents Badagry, as mere propaganda.
“Hon. Setonji David, though a ranking lawmaker, is from Badagry (Lagos West). While he is qualified for the speakership position, he is from Badagry, the same zone as the APC chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, as well as the senator representing Lagos West, Hon. Idiat Adebule. So, Hon. Setonji David can’t be the Speaker for fairness and equity.
“Our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has insisted that the speakership position returns to Lagos West, where former Speaker Obasa is from. If we are talking about Lagos West, we must also consider Ikeja Division, and most of us feel that is where the speakership should go,” the GAC source, who requested anonymity, said.
Based on this assertion, Hon. Adewale Temitope falls under the Ikeja Division, as he represents Ifako-Ijaiye I, while Hon. Damola Kasumi is from Ikeja II, and Hon. Kehinde Joseph represents Alimosho II.
However, among the three lawmakers mentioned, Hon. Adewale Temitope appears to have the brightest chance, given his role as the Majority Leader of the House and his position as a unifying figure among lawmakers in the foremost legislative body.
