Why Seyi/Obasa ticket is best for Lagos

The re-election of Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa as the speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly didn’t come to this writer as a surprise. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rewards loyalty. He doesn’t jettison or abandon his loyalists in the middle of the political sea. He does everything humanly possible to ensure that his embattled loyalists sail safely ashore from any political turbulence.

Obasa has reportedly been his loyalist right from the third republic political dispensation when he was a young delegate to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) convention that elected Tinubu as a senatorial candidate of the party. From then till date, he has been following Tinubu. How then did anyone expect that the president would abandon him to his fate during the recent turbulence in the Lagos House of Assembly?

When the now-reversed removal happened, many Nigerians had thought that the president sanctioned the removal. However, the latter day’s events clearly showed that the consent of the president was not sought before the removal happened. The president was taken unawares. That shouldn’t have been the case.

All the members of the House of Assembly were elected to the House on the benevolence of the president. None of them can beat his chest and boast that he was elected into that chamber without the knowledge or approval of the president.

The actions taken by elected officials from Lagos State on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform were seen as imprudence and political indiscipline, as they had the president’s approval and blessing. How then did the House members think that they could successfully carry out such a civilian coup without the approval of the number one citizen of the country? It could have taken another dimension if Tinubu was not the president of the country today. They could have succeeded. In any case, why didn’t they try such an action all these years that Tinubu was not in office?

It’s possible that the speaker has taken for granted that Tinubu is now the president of the country to behave anyhow, particularly on his relationship with the executive. I don’t think that he related with the executive arm of the Lagos State government this way since he became speaker in 2015. He worked well with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode even when the then governor challenged Tinubu. He also related relatively well with the incumbent governor in his first term. So what has really changed?

Obasa’s reinstatement was in order for the political stability of the state. The only thing left for him now is to be magnanimous in victory. He shouldn’t harbour the malice to victimise those who removed him. He should reflect on the incident and do some soul searching to correct his mistakes and work towards improving his relationship with his colleagues. The speaker of a house of parliament is a mere privilege. He is just the first among equals. Imagine what his fate would have been if the president had not intervened. He would realise how humiliating it feels as a floor member after 10 years as the speaker.

Furthermore, Obasa’s reinstatement is for a purpose. He is being prepared for the 2027 political dispensation. His removal, if allowed, would have dented his political reputation. Obasa is likely prepared to pair Seyi Tinubu for the 2027 battle.

Just like I wrote recently, Seyi Tinubu is qualified to be the next governor of the state. That his father is the president of the country doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t have ambition in his life. Tinubu and Seyi are two different entities with varied destinies even though they are father and son. Should Tinubu fail to support Seyi as the next governor of Lagos State, no other person will make Seyi a governor with the level of political treachery prevalent now. Once Tinubu is out of office, his political influence starts diminishing. If the Lagos House members could dare remove Obasa even while the overall benefactor is the president of the country, then imagine what will happen when he leaves office.

Seyi Tinubu as the governorship candidate and Obasa as his deputy will be a formidable youthful ticket that will appeal to Lagosians and even other Nigerians. Seyi Tinubu may look so young, but he’s of age and experience to govern Lagos State. He doesn’t need to be a Methuselah before he can be qualified to lead. Leadership is no rocket science.

Maduako writes from Owerri via [email protected] (08061562735).