A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Babatunde Bank-Anthony, has called on Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to break his silence on the ongoing leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Bank-Anthony emphasized the need for the governor to address the situation publicly.
“I expect the governor to say something about this. He is the number one man in Lagos State. He cannot ignore what happened yesterday because that is the parliament he reports to, the parliament that makes the laws for the state he governs,” he said.
His remarks come amid escalating tensions in the Assembly, where a leadership dispute led to security forces barricading the Assembly complex on Monday, temporarily preventing lawmakers from gaining access. The lawmakers eventually entered the chambers, with Speaker Mojisola Meranda presiding over the plenary session at the Alausa complex.
Calls for Tinubu’s Intervention Amid Leadership Dispute
While some political observers have urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the crisis, Bank-Anthony advised caution, warning against the perception of presidential interference.
“Lagos has had 26 years of democracy. Do you still want to keep sucking your mother’s breast at this age? Let’s leave this man (President Tinubu) alone—he has bigger national issues to deal with,” he stated.
The crisis began when lawmakers removed Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker over fraud allegations, electing Meranda as his replacement. Obasa, a lawmaker representing Agege Constituency I, has since rejected his removal and challenged the decision in court—a move Bank-Anthony criticized.
“If Obasa cannot return to the House as a member, let him resign after 20 years in the Assembly. Let someone else have a chance,” the APC chieftain said.
Obasa, first elected to the Assembly in 2007, has served as Speaker since June 2015. His legal challenge against his removal is expected to further shape the unfolding political drama in Lagos.
