Daud Olatunji
The Labour Party has confirmed ongoing discussions with 36 lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly who are reportedly considering defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following the crisis that erupted over the forceful return of ousted Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that the lawmakers, who have reaffirmed their loyalty to Speaker Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, are said to be aggrieved by Obasa’s controversial re-entry into the Assembly complex, allegedly backed by thugs and armed security personnel.
According to reports, the legislators’ decision to explore defection was fueled by concerns over the manner in which Obasa forcefully reclaimed his office, despite a February 17 vote of confidence passed in favour of Meranda.
Speaking exclusively with PLATFORM TIMES on Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, confirmed that the party has been approached by a representative of the lawmakers.
Arabambi revealed that one of the lawmakers, whose identity was withheld for security reasons, reached out to him, expressing disappointment over Obasa’s actions.
“The source called me and said they were shocked that Obasa, who has a pending case in court scheduled for hearing on February 28, took the law into his own hands and stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly with thugs and a detachment of police officers,” Arabambi stated.
He further criticized the silence of influential APC members on the matter, questioning why allegations of mismanagement of over N30 billion against Obasa were seemingly being ignored.
“What happened to the corruption allegations against Obasa? Is this a case of sweeping them under the carpet? Who are the people afraid of Obasa exposing their secrets? If they have skeletons in their closet, they should deal with them privately instead of forcefully reinstating him,” Arabambi remarked.
In reaction to the deepening crisis, the Labour Party has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Lagos, citing threats to democracy and governance in the state.
Arabambi described the situation as “avoidable” and expressed disappointment over the silence of top APC stakeholders.
“We at the Labour Party are calling for the immediate declaration of a state of emergency in Lagos. We are disappointed because many APC stalwarts have refused to speak out.
“Nigerians have now seen the reality of APC’s governance. This incident proves that they cannot be trusted ahead of the 2027 elections. Labour Party remains the only hope for the common man,” he asserted.
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