LAGOS, Nigeria – As the conflict between Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the House of Assembly continues to intensify, the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) on Monday pleaded with Lagosians to give it some time to resolve the dispute.
Chairman of the GAC, the highest decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, Prince Tajudeen Olusi spoke in an exclusive chat with QUEST TIMES.
Last week, only 22 of the 39 cabinet nominees presented by the governor to the House of Assembly for screening were confirmed. 17 other nominees were rejected by the lawmakers.
The 17 rejected commissioner-nominees included some technocrats who were part of the governor’s administration in the first term and who were adjudged to have performed excellently.
This came after a protest by some Muslim bodies in Lagos who claimed that the governor gave only a few positions to Muslims who worked assiduously for his re-election while allocating a larger percentage to Christians.
Also, some stakeholders in the APC claimed that they were not consulted in the formation of the cabinet while others who were consulted by the governor claimed that their nominees were rejected.
However, the governor’s camp had claimed that all the stakeholders in the party, including President Bola Tinubu were consulted before the final list was presented to the Assembly, led by the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa
Speaking with our correspondent, Olusi who acknowledged that there is a dispute between the governor and the Assembly pleaded with Lagosians and the media to give the party leaders time to resolve it.
“It is the responsibility of the Executive to present a list to the House of Assembly and that responsibility falls on the shoulder of the governor. It is also the responsibility of the House of Assembly to examine the list as presented by the governor in accordance with the Constitution of our country. The constitution places a certain responsibility on the legislature”.
“Also, it is the responsibility of the party to step in where there is a dispute between the two parties. The party produces the governor; the party also produces members of the House of Assembly. The governor is there to ensure that the manifesto of the party is implemented. So, also the legislators are sponsored by the party”.
“I can tell you on this issue, the party is doing all that is necessary to resolve the conflict. I know the press as well as the general public mean well for our party and the country. They should give us some time to resolve the dispute in all its ramifications” Olusi said.
(Quest Times)
