The Labour Party (LP) candidate in the 2023 Lagos State governorship election Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV), has condemned the recent armed invasion of the Lagos State House of Assembly, labeling it a “show of shame” orchestrated by members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking during a televised interview, Rhodes-Vivour decried the intimidation tactics used by the APC to impose its will on the state assembly. He described the use of armed security personnel to force Speaker Mojisola Meranda to step down as an unacceptable act of violence and coercion.
“The APC has sort of normalised this idea of using intimidation and force to get their way, and that is what we saw today,” Rhodes-Vivour stated. “An attempt to intimidate the speaker to resign and step aside using armed men and the threat of violence is completely unacceptable.”
Earlier that day, armed security officers from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) had stormed the state assembly, preventing Speaker Meranda from entering the chamber for hours. When she finally gained access to preside over plenary, she was visibly emotional and tearful as the lawmakers passed a vote of confidence in her leadership.
The ongoing leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly stems from the controversial removal of Mudashiru Obasa as speaker and the election of Meranda as his successor. While more than 32 pro-Meranda lawmakers have pledged their support to the new speaker, Obasa, who insists his removal was illegal, has gone to court to challenge the process.
Rhodes-Vivour urged President Bola Tinubu and the Lagos APC Governors’ Advisory Council (GAC) to step in and call Obasa to order, stressing that Lagos State had advanced beyond such undemocratic practices.
“Lagos has advanced beyond this,” he said. “There are civilised ways to handle these matters. His (Obasa’s) leaders in the GAC, the president, should call him to order. We don’t want to go to new lows.”
The former LP governorship candidate further denounced the use of armed men to disrupt the legislature, calling it a “disgrace” to Lagos politics and an assault on the integrity of the legislative process.
“Armed men coming into the assembly is a big low and a disgrace to our politics in Lagos. It’s completely disgraceful,” Rhodes-Vivour said. “Anybody trying to capture the leadership of the House for whatever political interest should be ashamed.”
Rhodes-Vivour also referenced ongoing corruption allegations against Obasa, questioning why no action had been taken despite the serious nature of the accusations. He called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the former speaker, urging the anti-graft agency to look into the claims that have yet to be addressed.
“It’s unfortunate that all the allegations that were brought before the former speaker, all sorts of corruption allegations, we have not seen anything come out of it,” Rhodes-Vivour concluded. “The EFCC should investigate these matters.”
Rhodes-Vivour’s remarks add to the growing chorus of condemnation surrounding the recent unrest in the Lagos State House of Assembly and the methods being used by political actors to assert control over the legislature.
