A former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Jude Idimogu, has warned the ousted Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, against inflaming tensions in the state amid the ongoing crisis in the legislative chamber.
Idimogu, who represented Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2 from 2015 to 2023, spoke in a WhatsApp voice note sent to our correspondent.
He noted that Obasa is not the first Speaker to be removed by colleagues and urged him to allow peace to prevail.
“I would advise him to stop heating up the polity in Lagos State and stop putting the APC in disarray. After all, he has gone to court, so he should allow the court to do its job,” Idimogu stated.
The former lawmaker emphasized that nothing lasts forever and reminded Obasa of his long tenure in the House, spanning over two decades.
He urged the ex-speaker to appreciate his time in office and the support he received from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) rather than causing unrest.
“Obasa should know that he is not greater than the other 39 members of the House of Assembly. The leadership of the APC, led by the President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has been good to him. He should reflect on his journey and be grateful. If I were him, I would go and do thanksgiving,” he said.
Read Also: IGP to Adeleke: shelve contentious council poll to advert bloodshed
Idimogu further advised Obasa to reconcile with his colleagues, reminding him that while he remains a member of the House, his tenure as Speaker has ended.
“He has spent almost 10 years as Speaker and 12 years as a member. I don’t think he can return as Speaker in that place again,” he added.
“His name is not Lagos State. His name is Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa. It was just a privilege given to him to serve as the Speaker, and at a point, he abused it.
“What has happened to Obasa has God’s hands in it. This has nothing to do with party leaders. God has used people to tell him whatever has a beginning must surely have an end.
“If I were him, I will go on my knees and beg God for forgiveness. Also, all the former members and the ones who are there currently, he should beg them for forgiveness.
The lawmaker explained that the other 39 members currently in the House are greater than Obasa and that President Tinubu, who is likely to run for a second term, should understand that these other 39 members would gather more loyalists’ votes than Obasa.
“Obasa’s time as the Speaker has come and gone. He has not been suspended as a member of the House and he has a choice to come for the sitting and if he doesn’t, he should know that the people of Agege Constituency 1 will suffer for it,” he added