Lagos State Governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, skipped the usual Monday weekly executive council meeting, staying at Lagos House, Marina, as the news of Speaker of the State, Mudashiru Obasa’s impeachment filtered around the state.
Armed security personnel had, in the early hours of the day, stormed the premises of the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, and Lagos State House of Assembly Complex, in apparent moves to ward off possible breakdown of law and order by disgruntled elements.
Shorty after the news of Obasa’s impeachment started circulating, some hoodlums invaded the House of Assembly Complex.
But they were intercepted by the armed personnel of Rapid Response Squad, RRS, and Lagos State Task Force; scores were arrested in the process.
Meanwhile, Vanguard reliably gathered from a credible source that Sanwo-Olu had stayed back at the state House, Marina, and delegated his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, to take charge of the weekly EXCO meeting for the day, while monitoring the state House of Assembly impeachment saga as it was unfolding.
Sanwo-Olu, as at press time, was yet to make any comment on the development.
However, an inside source told Vanguard that he welcomed the news with great optimism for a better working relationship after a frosty experience with Obasa’s leadership.
“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” the executive members were said to have echoed during the exco meeting, which was brief as Hamzat dismissed members to enjoy the rest of the day.
Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu, it was gathered is likely to meet the new speaker and other principal officers soon.
Recall that Obasa had been in the black books of Sanwo-Olu and members of the Governance Advisory Council, GAC, over various misconducts and disrespect to the office of Mr. Governor without caution.
It was President Bola Tinubu who doused the tension and brokered peace at crucial meetings conducted at his Ikoyi residence during the Yuletide break in Lagos.
However, the bubble burst on Monday, at about 12 noon, when 39 members of the house unanimously impeached Obasa over financial misappropriations, among others.
The development led to wild jubilation among staff of the Lagos State House of Assembly as well as the governor’s office, and the generality of the state workers who felt Obasa goofed and became a lord unto himself.
Credit: Vanguard News
