Chief Olabode George, former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed his disappointment over the reinstatement of Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. In an interview, George described the reinstatement as “an embarrassment” and questioned the procedure followed by the lawmakers.
“Did they re-elect him? Did they sit to say okay, they wanted a new speaker? Did they remove Meranda as the incumbent Speaker? There are procedures to these things,” George asked. He emphasized that Meranda’s resignation paved the way for Obasa’s return, which he deemed an “indecent approach to what democracy is all about.”
George also highlighted the allegations of financial and other misappropriations leveled against Obasa, which were not addressed before his reinstatement. “If you were accused of certain misdemeanor openly and people went through a process by which they said enough of you, if you want to come back, you know you will have to defend yourself first,” George stated.
He further criticized the lack of transparency and accountability in the process, likening it to a “military organization.” George emphasized the importance of following established procedures and respecting the constitution, saying, “PDP is not the private enterprise of anybody. If you want to be a member of PDP, you have to follow the rules.”
Regarding Mojisola Meranda’s resignation, George questioned her ability to independently make decisions, suggesting that she was “handpicked” by the party leadership. “So if you were handpicked, like you are working for a company, the executive chairman of the company has the right to hire or fire. So you either keep your mouth shut or you are fired,” he said.
The crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly has sparked concerns about the influence of godfathers and the undermining of democratic procedures. As George noted, “It has now opened our eyes to the lackluster approach to managing this country. It is not working, and if we continue with that mess without getting to clean out the INEC and the procedure, we are just joking.”