Encomium
THE intrigues surrounding the next Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly has certainly not abated.
But going by the information at our disposal, the next Speaker is certainly coming from Lagos Central senatorial district. This means it is between Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni from Lagos Island Constituency 1 and Hon. Moshood Olanrewaju Oshun from Lagos Mainland Constituency II.
Although, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho from Mushin Constituency I, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa from Agege Constituency I, Hon. Rotimi Abiru from Somolu Constituency II, Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi from Ojo Constituency II and Hon. Oludayo Saka Fafunmi from Ifako Ijaiye Constituency I are still pushing forward with their ambition, many believe it is an exercise in futility.
We gathered that even though the party has not come out openly to say categorically that the position has been zoned to Lagos Central senatorial district, it is a forgone conclusion for many that, since the governor-elect came from Lagos East senatorial district and the deputy governor-elect from Lagos West senatorial district, the Speaker will certainly come from the Lagos Central senatorial district. This arrangement, according to our source, may not have been made into law but it s a convention which the party has adhered to since the beginning of this Fourth Republic and is not prepared to abandon now.
The 20 returning members of the Assembly did not like this party position and they are doing everything humanly possible to circumvent it. The 20 returning members with some of the outgoing members held a meeting on Thursday, May 21, 2015, at the State House of Assembly complex. The meeting was to harmonise their position and come out with a consensus candidate. But unfortunately, the meeting ended in a fiasco of sort. Although, Hon. Rotimi Abiru emerged the consensus candidate of Lagos East senatorial district when Hon. Agunbiade from Ikorodu Constituency I stepped down for him and Hon. Moshood Olanrewaju Oshun, the consensus candidate of Lagos Central senatorial district after Hon. Kazeem Alimi and Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu (both of Eti Osa Constituencies I and II respectively) stepped down for him. But the aspirants Hon. Mudashiru Obasa and Hon. Tejuosho from Lagos West refused to step down for each other. Rather, two other aspirants, Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi and Hon. Dayo Fafunmi joined the race making it four aspirants from Lagos West senatorial district alone.
The 20 returning members did not invite the 12 newly elected APC members to their meeting. This, maybe their undoing. Not even Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, who is returning for the second term was invited to their Thursday, May 21, 2015 meeting on the ground that he still has a case in court and that he is being followed around in his campaign for speakership by former local government chairmen.
But ENCOMIUM Weekly gathered that the grouse of the 20 returning members against Hon. Eshinlokun-Sanni is the fear that he is the candidate of the party leadership. This explains their desperation to do everything humanly possible to stop him from emerging the next Speaker. But their inability to even present a consensus candidate among themselves may eventually pave way for Hon. Eshinlokun-Sanni’s emergence as the next Speaker.
But if on the other hand the 20 returning members could put their ambition aside and come out with a consensus candidate from Lagos Central senatorial district in the person of Hon. Moshood Olanrewaju Oshun, the party leadership may agree with them.
So, from the look of things, the next Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly may be Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni or Hon. Moshood Olanrewaju Oshun.
– TOLANI ABATTI
