Tinubu blasts Obasa over Lagos LG Law, after opposition accused President of using Speaker to scuttle council elections

By KEMI KASUMU

In what looks like dissociating himself from what is being done back home in Lagos on the new Lagos State Local Government Administration Law 2024 just amended by the State House of Assembly, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly blasted Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajaiyi Obasa, over the contentious Bill that has now been passed into law awaiting assent of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Tinubu’s berating of the Speaker was coming a week after he was accused by opposition of using Obasa to scuttle the Local Government Elections in the state hiding under the new LGA Law.

It will be recalled that the Lagos State United Opposition Political Parties (LASTOP) had, on Tuesday December 17, 2024, condemned the leadership of Lagos State government over its inability to start the process of conducting the local government election.

At a press conference held in the state, the former governorship candidate of the Action Alliance Party and Spokesperson of LASTOP, Sola Olomola, addressed the media on a crucial issue regarding the upcoming local government polls in the state raising concerns about the delay in conducting elections into the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State.

He pointed out that the tenure of the current local government officials is set to expire in four months, yet there are no signs of preparations for the elections.

The main issue highlighted during the press conference was the refusal of the Lagos State House of Assembly, under the leadership of Right Honorable Mudashiru Obasa, to screen the nominees for the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC). The nominees have been waiting for over eight months for screening, raising suspicions of a deliberate attempt to delay the elections.

Olomola emphasized that Section 5 of the LASIEC law mandates the conduct of elections into all the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs in Lagos state, not just the LGAs. He warned against any attempt to shortchange the LCDAs by conducting elections only in the LGAs, as it would be strongly resisted by opposition parties in the state.

The opposition parties are determined to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming elections, citing the government’s failure to bring development to the people. They accused the APC of planning to either illegally extend the tenures of current LGA and LCDA executives or replace them with handpicked APC members, a move that would undermine democracy at the local government level.

LASTOP appealed to the judiciary to expedite the resolution of all litigations related to the screening and inauguration of LASIEC nominees to ensure timely elections in all LGAs and LCDAs. They also called for the resignation of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa if he continues to delay the screening process.

The opposition parties threatened to mobilize their members and voters to occupy the state Assembly if necessary until the screening of LASIEC nominees is completed. They condemned the Speaker’s actions and alleged that his ties to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were influencing his decisions.

LASTOP reiterated its commitment to challenging the APC in the upcoming elections and called for a united effort to remove the current government from power in Lagos State.

The press conference was attended by various opposition parties’ representatives, including the Labour Party, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) officials.

Visibly upset by the law, President Tinubu questioned Obasa’s qualifications to draft laws that could destabilize the political harmony in Lagos State.

He repeatedly scolded the Speaker for his perceived individualistic approach to state matters and his confrontational stance toward the state executive, the party, and its elders.

A stunned Obasa was reportedly left speechless as Tinubu lambasted him for his alleged political misconduct and defiance toward the party, its leaders, and the governor.

The President emphasized that matters concerning local government laws were beyond Obasa and the House of Assembly at this stage. Tinubu directed the Speaker to align with Governor Sanwo-Olu’s directives, particularly regarding the screening, approval, and confirmation of board members for the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).

Obasa was further instructed to comply with other instructions that would be communicated to him in the future.

The incident comes after Obasa, during the Lagos State 2025 budget presentation, boasted that no serving or former Lagos State governor was better qualified than him to oversee the state, which boasts the fourth-largest economy in Africa. His assertion, seen as a direct indictment of President Tinubu, who governed Lagos from 1999 to 2007, also highlighted his ambition to run for Lagos State Governor in 2027.

The controversial 2024 Local Government Administration Law has been widely criticized as a tool for Obasa to install his loyalists as administrative secretaries in the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). This move is viewed as part of his 2027 gubernatorial agenda, branded as the “Muda Eko, Obasa Lagos 2027 Agenda” under The Mudashiru Movement (TMM). The proposal has reportedly caused divisions within the APC in Lagos State.