PDP’s Jandor Chides Lagos Speaker Obasa On Proposed Laws On Property, Titles

The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has criticized the state House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa for his new legislative agenda.

Obasa who was re-elected on Tuesday for a third term as Speaker, had in his acceptance speech at the inauguration of the 10th Lagos Assembly, proposed new property, and business ownership laws in the state.

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The Speaker had noted that Lagos is a Yoruba land, adding that the essence of the laws were to protect the Indigenes of the state.

“Lagos is a Yoruba land as against the assertions of some people that it is a no man’s land.

“Therefore, part of our legislative agenda is to ensure the translation of laws passed by this House to the Yoruba language,” Obasa had said.

“We also aim at achieving our collective goals of creating a robust legislative framework that protects the interest of our people. Going forward in this wise, we are going to employ all legislative instruments for the support of the indigenes of Lagos.

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“There would be laws and resolutions in the areas of economy and commerce, property and titles, and we will reverse all that is reversible to protect the interest of the indigenes,” he noted.

But reacting on Friday, Adediran condemned the lawmaker for making such statement and called for a public apology to all the residents of the state.

He stated that the huge economic contribution of the non-Yoruba-speaking residents to the viability of the state should be acknowledged by a serious government while the welfare and safety of such people should be ensured rather than “making reckless and volatile utterances.”

Adediran noted that true indigenes of the state unlike Obasa and his likes are tolerant and accommodating to Nigerians from all walks of life.

“The true spirit of Lagos is liberality offering opportunities to all residents to achieve their full potential without biases or segregation”, a statement by his spokesman, Gbenga Ogunleye, quoted him as saying.

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Adediran revealed that Lagos has been fair to the likes of Obasa, who are not true indigenes but occupy elected offices since the commencement of this democratic dispensation in 1999.

He described it as unfortunate that people who are privileged to enjoy the liberality of Lagos are now threatening the peaceful stay of others.

“Those whose palm kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble”, Adediran said.

He, however, enjoined residents of the state to ignore the provocative statement and continue to envisage “the realization of the breath of fresh air in Lagos with the ongoing attempt to install a truly friendly government via the final phase of the electioneering process.”

Adediran’s reaction is coming just a day after the state governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, had also berated the Speaker for his new legislative agenda.

Rhodes-Vivour stated that with the state having been divided along ethnic lines during the last general elections, the proposed laws would only divide the state the more.

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THE WHISTLER recalls that the last general elections in Lagos divided the state along ethnic lines.

The Chairman of the Lagos State Parks Management Committee, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, had in a viral video warned Igbos that wanted to vote against the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18 elections in the state to stay at home.

However, following widespread public criticisms, he denied threatening the Igbos, saying he was addressing a lady called “Iya Chukwudi”, not the Igbos in Lagos.

There were lots of ethnic slurs before, during and after the elections, which led to rising tensions in the state.

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