Tinubu, GAC Put Obasa in His Place, Warn Him against Disrespecting Gov Sanwo-Olu

Akinwale Adedayo in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), Lagos, weekend, warned the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, against disrespecting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the office of the governor under whatever guise.

This development, THISDAY gathered, played up after members of the GAC visited the president in Lagos, on Friday, upon his return to the state for the end of the year break.
Chairman of GAC, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi, THISDAY was told, opened the floor for the discussion, when he told the president he wanted to give him a situation report on the state of play in the state.

The old man, who reminded the president of how highly the governor’s office was held in the state, when he was governor between 1999 and 2007, allegedly told the president that the disrespect that Governor Sanwo-Olu had suffered in the hands of the speaker was no longer acceptable.
He, according to sources, went on to reel off instances, which they considered disrespectful, including the one they have had to physically intervene and reprimand the speaker.

He subsequently quit the stage for others to speak, including the speaker, who was also yielded the floor to defend himself.
After all had spoken, and it was the turn of the president, Tinubu was said to have exhibited obvious disdain over the alleged report by the GAC leadership on the speaker and went on to openly lash him for not just disrespecting the governor and his office, but also for poorly managing the politics of the state.

According to a presidency source, who hinted at the development, and commended the president for stepping into the Lagos political situation, Tinubu allegedly cited the case of a bill being put forward by the assembly to enable them sack the chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).
He said the president scoffed at what he called a huge joke, presided over by the speaker, and added that, “Which governor will sign such a bill into law, anyway.”

After the meeting was dismissed and everybody made to leave, the speaker, the presidency source hinted, ran after the president into an inner room to properly tell his side of the story and probably persuade an obviously angry Tinubu.

Unfortunately, for him, a couple of other GAC members, about two of them, suspecting Obasa’s move, allegedly joined in that second meeting, where the issues were further discussed and the speaker was still condemned, by a majority.

The most interesting part of the meeting, the source disclosed, was when the son of the president, Seyi, walked in at this particular meeting and after listening to the conversations, asked if he could ask one or two questions.

According to the source, Seyi asked that, “Although I’m the youngest here, I just needed the clarity for my understanding. Please, why do you have groups within the party when they cannot unite the party?”
The source said the question, among other concerns raised by the first son, was so profound that it marked the end of the meeting and everyone dispersed.

He, however, said the president told the speaker and others during the first meeting that he already knew what to do on the matter and would do so when the time comes.

There has been no love lost between the speaker and the governor, even though Sanwo-Olu had tried to manage the situation and pretend all was well before the observing public.
But the matter came to a head during the 2025 budget presentation by Sanwo-Olu, when Obasa seized the occasion to come out and openly hit the governor.

Although Sanwo-Olu did not reply him aside from members of the public, who condemned Obasa’s alleged show of shame, that event however marked the final straw as both leaders had since maintained their lanes, respectively.