Lagos Speakership Tussle Tears APC Members Apart

                             AS the Lagos State Governor-elect, Akinwunmi Ambode, is already defining some notable people that will form the next cabinet members in the fifth democratically elected administration in the state, the race for who becomes the next Speaker of the eight Legislative assembly in Lagos State is already generating steam among members and leaders of the party in the state
The tussle for the number three position actually started prior to the primaries to elect candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in December 2014 for all elective positions.


And after the conclusion of the general elections with the emergence of new members of the house, the tussle for the next Speaker has taken the front burner of the Lagos State House of Assembly. The race is centered on four major characters.

Though, for the first time, the incoming legislative assembly will be having a significant number of minority as seven out of 40 seats of the house will be occupied by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members.

The son of the APC state chairman, Ladi Ajomale, lost the Oshodi-Isolo LGA seat to PDP candidate, while the current Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Kolawole Musbau Taiwo, who had served fourth term and bidding for the fifth term lost to PDP candidate in Ajeromi Ifelodun, LGA.

Desmond Elliot, the NollyWood star, who contested under the umbrella of APC in Surulere, narrowly, defeated his arch PDP rival.

Governorship ambition

Also, the present occupier of the seat, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who lost his governorship ambition to Ambode will not be coming back to the Assembly.

Hitherto, there were four major contenders eyeing the seat. They were; current Deputy Speaker, Taiwo, Ajeromi/Ifelodun 1; the current Chief Whip of the Assembly, Rasak Balogun, Surulere 2; the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Budget and Economic Planning, Mudasiru Ajayi Obasa, Agege 1; and the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Finannce, Princess Adefunmilayo Tejuoso, Mushin 1.

As nature would have it, Balogun failed make it to the primaries, which paved the way for two major contenders: Moshood Olanrewaju Osun, Lagos Mainland 1, and Deputy Chief Whip, Lateef Rotimi Abiru, Somolu II, to signify interest in the race.

In the build up to the last general elections, the main candidates were: Taiwo, Obasa, Tejuoso, Abiru and Osun. Later there was a consensus to give it to Taiwo, who many believed deserved it. However, the unexpected happened to the permutation and equation already laid down, as Taiwo was consumed in the latest conspiracy by Igbo’s agenda in the state when he lost bid to return at the house of assembly poll on April 11th, 2015 to his arch rival, PDP.

The defeat, automatically, laid to rest his speakership ambition thereby, throwing open the tussle to others.

The new entrant for speakership are: Lanre Ogunyemi, Ojo 2; Gbolahan Yisawu, Eti Osa, 1; and Dayo Saka Fafunmi, Ifako Ijaye 1 , as well as the returnee, Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, Lagos Island 1. One fact of the matter is that first timer into the Assembly cannot stand to contest the Speakership position hence only second, third and fourth timers have the opportunity of putting their hats in the ring.

There are three fourth timers returning to the Assembly: Obasa, Tejuoso and Bayo Osinowo, Kosofe 1 and out of the three only Obasa and Tejuoso indicated intention to contest.

The other aspirants: Osun, Fafunmi and Abiru are third timers while Ogunyemi, Yisawu and Eshinlokun are second timers.

Facts about runners: Princess Adefunmilayo Tejuoso, Mushin 1: Tejuoso is the only female contender in the group and she is a very strong contender for the job. Though, brilliant, articulate and well grounded in legislative experience, Tejuosho, once a deputy speaker was later impeached. If Tejuosho, a lawyer by profession who many believed do not have the attitude and composure of a speaker, is banking on her relationship with APC National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire for an easy ride, it’s definitely will be a mirage. The existing relationship between Tinubu and Banire is said to be very low. However, funmi also has gender advantage to her side but to how best it can favour her is unsure. Lanre Ogunyemi, Ojo 2: Ogunyemi may be a second timer in the Assembly, but the experience he garnered as a party man, state officer and appointed officer since 1999 can never be matched by any member of the Assembly.

At a very tender age, Ogunyemi was elected the state Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy which ensured the re-election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the governor of the state in 2003.

After that, Ogunyemi was appointed Special Adviser to then Deputy Governor, Femi Pedro on Political and Legislative Matters. Ogunyemi is suave, cerebral, articulate and very active in the proceedings of the Seventh Assembly. Mudasiru Obasa, Agege 1, is the current Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Budget and Economic Planning, a very sensitive and strategic committee.

Obasa with his wealth of experience is coming in as a fourth timer and all his stay in the Assembly, has been very active. Before his present assignment, he was Chairman of another sensitive committee, the Public Accounts Committee for Local Governments.

Obasa is one of the most respected lawmakers in the Assembly and commands much respect among his colleagues.

Rotimi Abiru, Somolu 2: Abiru has the distinction of being the only principal officer coming back to the Assembly.Currently he is the Deputy Chief Whip of the Assembly.

Apart from this, Abiru is cool headed and possesses the necessary leadership quality to lead the Assembly. His experience cannot also be wished away as he is coming in as a third term lawmaker.

Abiru is intelligent, articulate and since his election into the Assembly in 2007, he has been one of the most active participants in the Assembly.

Even among the staff of the Assembly, Abiru is well loved and respected and his views are always respected by his colleagues.

Apart from this, Abiru is also regarded as a good manager of human and material resources.

Olanrewaju Osun, Lagos Mainland, a respected lawmaker in the Assembly, coming from the Lagos Central Senatorial District is an added advantage. He is also a very strong contender with cognate experience as he is coming in for a third term and he is coming from a rich legislative background.

Party primaries

His elder brother, Wale Osun was the Chief Whip of the House of Representatives in the aborted Third Republic. Gbolahan Yisawu, Eti Osa 1: Yisawu is coming in for the second term and the report that he had started lobbying for the post even before the party primaries had made most of his colleagues tag him as over ambitious.

Yisawu is brilliant and articulate but the feeling among most of his colleagues was that he may be too young to lead the Assembly successfully. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, Lagos Island 1: Eshinlokun has many issues to contend with. He is currently enmeshed in a court case over the legality of his candidacy. His candidacy is being challenged in the Appeal Court after he won in the court over his name not recognised as the candidate of the party for the last election.

Apart from this, Eshinlokun is regarded to be out of tune with current legislative trend.

He was in the Assembly between 1999 and 2003, an absence of 12 years which is a minus to his ambition as it is believed he must be “legislative rusty” due to his absence in the active legislative matters.

Inter-playing factors

In the final analysis, the decision of the party is expected to be final. This will be so because in the annals of speakership, the party had always being the deciding factor, said a party member who did not want to be mentioned.

In this particular instance, two factors are said to standout. The next speaker will be based on the level of maturity, composure, intelligence, which Abiru and Ogunyemi are said to possess.

Another factor is the issue of zoning. And if the issue of zoning is to be considered it might however, not favour Abiru who is from Shomolu, in the East Senatorial District which produced the Governor, Ambode from Epe division of the East Senatorial District.

Also, Ogunyemi, who is from Ojo in the West Senatorial District, may also have to contend with the issue of zoning as the Deputy Governor-elect, Adebule is from the zone.

But if the zoning issue will not matter, according to stakeholders and staff of the state Assembly, the two leading members, Abiru and Ogunyemi are the best men for the job.

One of the instances where the issue of zoning might not count in this case was the reference to the choice of out- going Speaker, Ikuforiji, who came from Ikeja I, then where the current Deputy Governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, is also from, West Senatorial District.

The decision to pick Ikuforiji then, it was gathered, was highly influenced by the National Leader of APC and Former Governor of the Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But in this instance, it was gathered that Tinubu is yet to make his intention known as he is currently, dealing with so many national issues that have arrested his attention.

Though, presently rocked with integrity palaver, the leadership of APC in the state, led by Chief Henry Ajomale, is expected to intervene and come up with credible candidate. It was gathered that intense pressure from interested parties has continued among members and party leaders.  According to popular opinion, the odds however, favour Abiru, as the only surviving principal of the house. But the only limiting factor is the fact that there is an Abiru as a Clerk of the House, and should there be another Abiru as the speaker,? That is the one million dollar question among stakeholders.

Members are said to be painstaking in their decision as any wrong move may end up in series of impeachment of different speakers. They believed that whoever emerges the speaker without charisma may subsequently, be subject to series of impeachment saga.

In the coming days it is believed that men will finally be separated from the boys, as May 29th, and June 3rd inauguration of the governor0 elect and Lagos assembly fast approach.
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