LAGOS — A former Minister of Communications, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (retd.), has strongly criticized the re-election of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, calling it a direct threat to democracy.
In a statement on Wednesday, Olanrewaju decried the political maneuvers that reinstated Obasa despite his earlier impeachment, alleging that lawmakers in Lagos have been stripped of their independence in choosing their leaders.
“Democracy died on Monday, March 3, when the Lagos State House of Assembly re-elected a constitutionally impeached Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, following the resignation of Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, who had lawfully secured the position with an overall majority,” he said.
The former minister also took aim at the Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, for what he described as a subversion of democratic principles. He suggested that the decision to reinstate Obasa was influenced by powerful political forces in Abuja rather than a reflection of the House members’ democratic will.
“The turn of events suggests that House members have been deprived of their democratic right to elect their own leader,” Olanrewaju stated. “A conspiracy theory is pointing to Abuja as the power center that decided the final outcome of the crisis in the Lagos Assembly.”
He further accused the ruling elites of sidelining indigenous Lagosians in the state’s political leadership, warning that they must strategize ahead of the 2027 elections or risk continued political domination by non-indigenes.
“Lagos State politics will need a new roadmap in 2027. Indigenous Lagosians and their allies must throw everything into the arena to reclaim political leadership,” he asserted.
Olanrewaju’s remarks reflect growing discontent over political power struggles in Lagos, raising concerns about external influences and the representation of indigenous citizens in governance.
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