Mudashiru Obasa, the recently impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, said he remained the rightful speaker, citing constitutional provisions as the basis for his assertion.
This declaration was made on Saturday during a welcome event hosted in his honour by supporters from Agege, Alimosho, and Kosofe local government areas in Ikeja GRA.
Obasa’s impeachment and removal on January 13, 2025, were results of allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office, which led to his deputy, Mojisola Meranda, being elected and sworn in as his successor.
Despite this, Obasa would seem determined to challenge the outcome, describing his impeachment as unlawful, null and void.
Obasa argued that the impeachment process didn’t adhere to constitutional procedures.
He, however, expressed willingness to accept his removal if it’s done in line with constitutional guidelines.
“I have been a parliamentarian for over two decades and I’m the longest serving member in the Lagos State House of Assembly and no one as we speak has surpassed my history, position and everything,” he said.
“I believe in removal. There is no impeachment in the assembly; you cannot impeach speaker. Probably there is a mistake from them. You can only remove the speaker, and if you want to remove, you must ensure you follow the rules. I am not afraid of being removed. What else am I looking for?”
“What I’m saying is: if you want to do that, do it constitutionally. Follow the due process,” he said.
Obasa haf earlier, according to reports, pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to have his impeachment nullified.
Reports also said that Obasa was set to return to Lagos today (Saturday) and that his loyalists were planning a lavish welcome party for him.
Obasa was impeached earlier this month for gross misconduct and abuse of office, prompting his swift departure to the US, a source said.
It was learnt that the former speaker who fell out of favour with President Tinubu returned to Abuja last weekend after assurances of no arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or any other law enforcement agencies.
It was earlier reported that the former Speaker was facing scrutiny from the EFCC over allegations of misappropriating ₦43.5 billion in state funds.
Sources said that during a meeting with Tinubu, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and some other All Progressives Congress stakeholders following Obasa’s impeachment, he argued that his impeachment ought to be nullified because he had hidden the two maces in possession of the state House of Assembly.
However, he was informed that the mace used during the session in which he was impeached was brought from the old Assembly building.
One of the sources said, “President Tinubu had summoned all the stakeholders; Lagos lawmakers, Lagos Governor’s Advisory Council, Obasa himself and Lagos Governor to Abuja for consultations and understanding.
“The President was unhappy the removal of Obasa was orchestrated without his express approval, and that he learnt about it from the news and social media. Except this lack of approval, he told Obasa that “he was not born a Speaker, and that speakership was not created with him”.
“Obasa pushed for the nullification of his impeachment on the grounds that the mace used to conduct business of the day on that fateful day wasn’t the official mace of the Lagos House of Assembly, considering he hid away the two maces while travelling out of the country.
“The lawmakers defeated his argument by confirming the mace used as the old mace of the parliament in the old building of the assembly. Seeing the futility of his claims, Obasa requested the President to prevail on the new leadership to grant him access to his belongings at the Speaker’s lodge and guest house. This was granted by the President,” the source added.
Sources said that Obasa was expected to visit the lodge and guest house today (Saturday), after returning to Lagos.
“But his visit will be under strict supervision to ensure no public property is looted by the former Speaker.
“To save face, the Chairman of Agege local government, Ganiyu Egunjobi has embarked on mobilisation of Obasa’s supporters to receive him on arrival in Lagos and also attend a meeting convened by the former Speaker in GRA, Ikeja later today,” one of the sources said.
Background
Obasa was impeached by more than two-thirds of the 40-member legislative house over alleged misconduct and sundry offences.
Obasa’s deputy, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, was immediately elected the new Speaker, becoming the first female to take charge of the legislative body in the South-West state.
Obasa, from Agege Constituency I, was first elected into the House in 2007. He has since been in the chamber since then. He emerged speaker in June 2015 before his removal in January 2025.
On Monday, January 13, 2025, Obasa was impeached for gross misconduct and abuse of office.
On May 14, 2020, SaharaReporters reported that in another misuse of public funds and abuse of office, then Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Obasa, received N53m from the state coffers to travel with his mistress to the United States of America.
The report said Obasa got the House to approve the fund to facilitate a trip to Georgia, United States, for the 2019 US-Nigeria Trade and Investment Global Summit, which he was billed to attend with some members of the Assembly and their staff.
The event was subsequently postponed but rather than return the fund to the state’s treasury, Obasa diverted the funds for personal use as he travelled to the US with his mistress.
In a document sighted by SaharaReporters dated October 15, 2019, Obasa had requested the Assembly to release the funds so he could attend the summit along with one of his staff.
The document partly read, “Given the above, kindly seek approval of the Rt. Hon. Speaker for release of the sum of N53,719,405 only to enable them to attend the programme.
“Hon. Speaker, please read from page 39 of file. You are respectfully invited to consider and approve the release of N53,719,405 to facilitate the attendance of the Hon. Speaker, Hon. members and one member of staff at the Y2019 US – Nigeria Trade and Investment Global Summit scheduled to take place in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, from 26th – 28th September 2019.”
It was gathered that though the meeting was rescheduled, Obasa travelled to the US with his mistress in place of his legislative staff.
An official of the Lagos Assembly said the Speaker was always in the habit of travelling with his mistress in place of his staff whenever he was leaving the country for official purpose.
“The Speaker and his mistress, who doubles as his protocol and external relations officer in the Assembly, only went to the US after collecting N53m for the US-Nigeria Trade and Investment Global Summit.
“No other staff or member of the Assembly travelled with the Speaker or attended the event,” the source said.
Another person close to the Speaker’s team also confirmed the lamentation and anger of some of the staff listed on this approval, who couldn’t embark on the trip or got a share of the money.
SaharaReporters had also exposed how Obasa fraudulently approved millions of naira for himself through the award of contracts to companies owned by him.
Other reports also revealed how he approved N17m monthly to maintain his personal residence and guest house. [SaharaReporters]
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