In a bid to resolve the leadership crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly, President Bola Tinubu met behind closed doors with Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and other aggrieved lawmakers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday. The meeting was convened following tensions within the assembly, which recently witnessed moves to unseat Obasa.
At the end of the meeting, sources revealed that President Tinubu insisted that Obasa should retain his position as Speaker but warned him to foster unity among his colleagues. “He’s been directed to withdraw the case from court,” a source disclosed, indicating that the President sought to settle the dispute internally rather than through legal battles.
Obasa, who arrived at the Villa around 2:50 p.m., was ushered separately into the President’s office, while his colleagues arrived earlier in two coaster buses through the forecourt route. The details of the discussion were not made public, but sources confirmed that the focus was on the ongoing leadership crisis in the state assembly.
After the meeting, Obasa declined to speak to journalists despite their persistent efforts to get a statement on the outcome of the deliberation. However, his body language suggested satisfaction with the discussions. Meanwhile, members of the delegation, upon emerging from the meeting at about 4:30 p.m., broke into a chorus of the popular political anthem, “On your mandate, we shall stand,” in apparent solidarity with President Tinubu.
For several minutes, the lawmakers chanted the song while making their way to the waiting coaster buses. This display of loyalty reinforced the perception that Tinubu’s intervention had significantly influenced the resolution process.
Despite the enthusiasm shown by the lawmakers, Obasa remained tight-lipped. He was accompanied by a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. James Faleke, who briefly addressed reporters. When asked about the outcome of the meeting, Faleke simply stated, “It went well,” without divulging further details.
