There was a mild drama on the floor of the Lagos Assembly on Monday, October 12, 2020, when the lawmakers were pledging their loyalty individually to the Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa as a prelude to passing a vote of confidence in him.
The debate was sparked off by the travails of Obasa with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which is investigating him for alleged corruption.
In a manner suggesting the lawmakers or core loyalists of Obasa doubt the loyalty of the Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, Hon. Victor Akande representing (Ojo 2) and Hon. Olusola Sokunle ( Oshodi-Isolo 1), the lawmakers challenged them to declare his stand.
When it got to Akande’s turn to pledge his loyalty to Obasa he challenged Agunbiade, saying”I will want the Majority Leader to speak out on where he belongs in this House. We are majority in this House and he is our majority leader. The minority cannot rule over the majority.”
Sokunle also said: “We want the Majority Leader to speak out and make it clear where he belongs if he is for the majority or the minority”.
Obviously suggesting that the Majority Leader belongs to the minority opposed to the Speaker, which automatically disqualifies him as the Majority Leader, Agunbiade responded expressing surprise and embarrassment at the challenge.
Agunbiade, a fourth -term lawmaker, said he was embarrassed by comments of those asking him to state where he belongs, saying with the vote of confidence passed on the Speaker, those behind the purported impeachment plan have been disgraced.
” I know fully well that impeachment of the Speaker cannot be done on the social media and it takes a process,” said Agunbiade.
Sokunle and two other lawmakers, Hon. Fatai Oluwa ( Ajeromi Ifelodun 2), and Hon. Temitope Adewale, (Ifako/Ijaiye 1), also accused the erstwhile Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Wahab Jimoh and Hon. Moshood Oshun (Mainland 2) of disloyalty.
Oluwa said: “I was part of the lawmakers who travelled to Instabul in Turkey but to my surprise in the report I read online, Hon. Wahab Jimoh’s name was not mentioned as part of the beneficiaries.
“This shows that he was the one who was divulging information about this House to the media.”
Adewale also alleged that Hon. Wahab Jimoh is the one divulging unauthorised information of the House to the media, saying that he listened recently to a voice note where the lawmaker told some people to search for Houses owned by the Speaker abroad.
Sokunle said: “We have information at our disposal that Hon. Wahab Jimoh is searching around for Obasa’s properties in United States.
“If any information comes out on the media about your properties, I suggest that Hon. Wahab Jimoh should be suspended indefinitely. If it is war, let it be war, we are the ones in-charge of this House.
“We should also investigate my dear brother, Hon. Moshood Oshun, if he is part of it. When we have peace we will call them back,” Sokunle said.
Jimoh was not present at plenary while Oshun only came to the plenary at the tail end of the debate.
He was absent when his name was mentioned and so did not respond to the accusation.
Source: The Nation
