A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 1, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, has described Speaker Mudashiru Obasa as an enduring pillar and ladder of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, saying the denial of the governorship ticket has done nothing to diminish his standing in the party.
Ogundipe made the remarks in a statement on Monday, extolling Obasa’s leadership character and political contributions across the state.
According to him, Politics is full of men who want to be the roof seen by all, above all. But without ladders, no one reaches the roof. Without pillars, the roof collapses.
“Obasa is Lagos APC’s pillar and ladder in one man. He holds the structure so the party can stand. He lifts the young so the party can last. You don’t praise a ladder while climbing. You remember it when you reach the top. And many at the top of Lagos politics today owe a silent “thank you” to this man.”
“By every political logic, I thought Obasa was next. Not just me, almost everyone thought: “Obasa is the next Governor. Then the party spoke. The leaders pointed elsewhere.
The lawmaker traced Obasa’s political trajectory from his early days as a councillor in Agege to his current position as Speaker, arguing that what distinguished the Speaker was not personal ambition but a consistent pattern of lifting others.
“From Councillor in Agege to becoming the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, his story is not just one of personal ascent. It is the story of dozens who rose because he first held the ladder,” Ogundipe stated.
He pointed to Obasa’s influence across several Lagos constituencies including Alimosho, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikeja and Agege noting that many serving local government chairmen, House of Assembly members, board appointees and special advisers owe their positions to the Speaker’s patronage and political mentorship.
On the governorship question, Ogundipe acknowledged that many, including himself, had expected Obasa to be next in line for the governorship ticket.
“What did the ladder do? It did not shake. It did not fall. It did not turn into a wall. Obasa bowed. He didn’t defect. He didn’t sponsor rebellion. He didn’t leak memos. He took the instruction from his father like a loyal soldier and went back to work for the party, for Lagos, for the same system that said “not yet”. That is the rarest form of leadership: To lift others even when you’re asked to wait. Many fabricated lies and wars against him but his integrity and loyalty to the party gives him the deserved victory.
“He won’t brag about his status and will never act in his capacity, very humble and understands that the grace of God brought him there.
Even If you call him “The Ladder”, he will just smile. That’s why we must say it for him. Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa: The man who made room at the top by staying rooted at the bottom. The leader who measures success by how many he raised, not how high he rose, he said.
Ogundipe argued that Obasa’s value to the APC lay not in titles acquired but in structures sustained, describing him as both the pillar that holds the party together and the ladder that elevates others within it.
About The Author
