Fouad Oki, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intimated that the crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly could become bloodier if not handled with utmost care.

During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Monday, February 17, Oki cautioned that fracas could turn out to be more than the ongoing leadership tussle at the Rivers State Assembly.

His comment comes after viral videos showed the moment, personnel from the Department of State Security (DSS) barricaded the office of Speaker Mojisola Meranda and stopped her from gaining access to her office. They also made several attempts to force their way into the chamber of the Lagos House of Assembly.

When she finally presided over the plenary, she became tearful and emotional as lawmakers passed a vote of confidence in her.

“If you see what happened today, you will begin to look at Rivers State, the mayhem that is also consuming to Osun State, you look at what is also happening in Kano, you put all of these together, and it will be like a child’s play to (that of) Lagos,” Oki told Channels Television.

The removal of Mudashiru Obasa as the speaker of the Lagos Assembly has embroiled the House in a leadership tussle for weeks now.

Obasa has insisted that his removal was illegal and has gone to court to challenge the process.

Oki described Monday’s hullabaloo at Lagos Assembly as a show of shame and a setback for democracy.

“Today is a sad day for me and indeed for all lovers of democracy in Nigeria,” he added.

Oki said “enough of begging and enough of appeasement”, saying that he and other comrades who were in the trenches during the fight for democracy would defend what they believed in.

“If there are those who do not have a sense of history, those who may either be benefactors of Hon Mudashiru Obasa or supporting him to cause a breach of the peace in Lagos, we will again put our lives on the line to defend democracy,” he said.

NBA