By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

After weeks of back and forth and in spite of a subsisting court case over the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, President Bola Tinubu and some leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC), weekend, reached a political solution considered a win-win for all parties.

Sources at the villa hinted that Tinubu had received many prominent party leaders, including former APC national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba; Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr. Dele Alake; and a former commissioner in Lagos State, whose name the source refused to disclose for political reasons.

Ahead of the meeting between the president and the party leaders, the source added that another prominent Nigerian and nonagenarian from the South-west (name withheld) had also met the president over the Assembly matter and other national concerns, during which he pleaded with the president to consider his request on Lagos as his birthday gift.

THISDAY gathered that the president met with different people on the Lagos Assembly matter, with each analysing the implications of letting the situation escalate beyond the point it was at the moment, even though some damage had been done. It was against this backdrop, the source said, that the meeting agreed that Obasa’s removal had come to stay and there was no going back on his speakership, especially as the laws guiding the Assembly were clear about the election and removal of a speaker.

Particularly more instructive was the revelation that virtually everyone, who had something to say on the Assembly crisis, spoke badly about the leadership of Obasa and his conduct for the period he held sway.

They argued, among other things, that if 37 out of his 39 colleagues stood against him with scathing remarks about his leadership, in addition to the position of the political leaders in the state, who also wrote him off, then returning him would be against the tide. They reckoned that would be dangerous for the politics in the state, and the democratic credentials of the president.

It was on the strength of these arguments that the president resolved at the meetings that Obasa’s removal had come to stay, but a plea was made to salvage his political future by giving him a soft-landing.

It was in the bid to give him a soft-landing, the source added, that a conclusion was reached during the meetings that Obasa’s removal should be quashed and commuted to resignation, the same way the removal of a former deputy speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Funmi Tejuosho, was converted to resignation.

Once that was settled, the fate of the current speaker, Hon. Mojisola Meranda, was next on the agenda and it was somewhat tricky for the president, the speaker being a woman.
The source explained that while the president wanted the elevation of a woman in the politics of the state, the speaker coming from the same senatorial district as the governor – Lagos Central, made it impossible for her to keep her position.

One of the reasons canvassed in support of that viewpoint was that, if the governor was elected from Lagos Central and his deputy from the East, then the largest senatorial district, Lagos West, could not be left out of the power equation on account of the leadership crisis in the Assembly.

The source disclosed that the president was so disturbed about the situation that he asked if another woman from Lagos West could be sourced and put forward, instead, so that the women folk would not allege discrimination in the power game.

Unfortunately, the only woman from that part of the state was not only a first timer, but also elected on the platform of a minority party, Labour Party, making her choice impracticable in view of the power arrangement in the state.
The meeting concluded that Meranda, too, should resign and stand down from the speakership position and allow someone from Lagos West to occupy the office, just so that none of the three senatorial districts would feel alienated.

Further explaining how the state arrived at this juncture, the source explained that contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the president did not care about Obasa’s removal, as he was not special.

The source said Tinubu’s response conveyed the impression that if Obasa was unable to manage and carry his colleagues along, to the point that he lost their trust, then the president would not do his job for him.
It added that there was also the feeling that Obasa had served as Speaker for over nine years by riding on the coattails of the president, and that was enough compensation, for now.

However, the source said the president was angry with the fact that Obasa’s removal caught him unaware. He was not just the political leader of the party in the state and at the national level, but also as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. He considered being taken off guard in such situation discourteous, and having attendant political implications.

But after several interventions, the president, the source said, looked beyond the failings of the assembly members, and was now interested in moving forward. This disposition gave rise to the solutions collectively arrived at.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Canadian immigration authorities have reportedly denied asylum to Wale Francis Akinpelu, a retired Nigerian police officer, and his wife, Ajarat Mojirola.

They were denied asylum due to concerns over his past service in the Nigerian police force.

The decision was based on allegations of human rights violations linked to the Nigerian police, which has faced accusations of corruption and misconduct.

The couple left Nigeria in 2017, claiming they were fleeing threats from a criminal gang.

Mrs. Akinpelu first traveled to the United States in May 2017, and her husband joined her in October after resigning from the police.

In 2018, they moved to Canada and applied for refugee protection, arguing that they were at risk of harm if they returned to Nigeria.

However, Canadian authorities questioned Mr. Akinpelu’s credibility due to his association with the Nigerian police.

His application was suspended, and later, a federal court upheld its rejection, ruling that his past employment disqualified him from asylum under human rights laws.

The couple’s applications were processed separately.

Mrs. Akinpelu’s request was initially denied in 2019 after authorities found inconsistencies in her claims.

She appealed the decision, leading to a new hearing, but her asylum application was rejected again in February 2023.

The court ruled that her evidence contained contradictions, and some documents appeared fraudulent.

In her legal challenge, she argued that the rejection process was unfair.

However, Justice Norris ruled against her, stating that her claims relied heavily on her husband’s statements, which lacked credibility.

The judge pointed out that she failed to provide substantial proof to support her fears of persecution.

With both asylum requests denied, Canadian authorities are set to proceed with the deportation process for the couple.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation has announced the postponement of the National Council for Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy meeting, originally scheduled to be held in Osun State from February 25 to 27, 2025.

The decision comes in response to heightened political tensions in the state following the local government crisis.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, communicated this decision through an internal memo titled ‘Urgent Action Against Hosting of National Council for Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy from 24-27 February 2025, in Osun State’, which was addressed to State Commissioners, Directors of MDAs, Heads of Departments/Units, and key stakeholders.

“With reference to the above, I wish to bring to your notice the current tense situation in Osun State stemmed from political unrest and uproar in view of the ongoing local government elections”, the memo partly read.

The memo further directed all concerned parties to take note of the change in schedule and assured them that a new date for the meeting would be announced in due course.

“From the foregoing, I am directed by the Hon. Minister to inform you that the upcoming Council Meeting scheduled to hold in Osun State from 25 – 27 February 2025 has been postponed to a later date that will be duly communicated.

“Any inconvenience(s) caused is highly regretted, please”, the memo further stated.

The ministry also urged recipients of the circular to ensure its wide dissemination to all relevant stakeholders.

“You are requested to give this Circular the needed circulation. While thanking you for your usual cooperation and understanding, please accept the Hon. Minister’s warm regard”, the memo concluded.

Recall that the Peoples Democratic Party won all the chairmanship and councillorship seats in all the 30 local government areas of Osun State on Saturday.

The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Hashim Abioye, made this known at a press conference on Saturday in Osogbo, the state capital.

Abioye also said the PDP also cleared the 332 councillorship seats in the poll.

The OSSIEC chairman, who said Certified True Copies of the result of the elections would be made available to whoever is interested in having them, congratulated the candidates on their victory at the poll.

Also, on Sunday, Governor Ademola Adeleke inaugurated the newly elected LG chairmen and councillors in the Saturday poll.