Banner Online News

By Paul Dada

The presidential primary election of the All Progressives Congress was still a year away. But aspirants worth their salt already knew they had to begin to woo the stakeholders of the North West to brighten their chances of clinching the ticket of the ruling party.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, one of the most formidable and strategic politicians Nigeria can boast of, had teams and individuals working overtly and covertly to help him realise his dream of not only becoming the APC’s presidential standard bearer but also the President of the country’s.

One of those working for him was Mudashiru Obasa, the then Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. On Friday, May 26, 2023, Obasa, who was inarguably the most influential state speaker in Nigeria, led the other speakers of the APC-controlled Houses of Assembly in the Southwest to a meeting in Kano with serving speakers from the Northwest and their predecessors.  The meeting had an objective; it was to extract the commitment of the senior lawmakers of the politically powerful zone to influence their people to support Tinubu’s ambition.

Obasa, no one would disagree, was best suited to woo his colleagues in the northwest and other zones in Nigeria for his political mentor. After all, if he had not got the blessing of Tinubu, he would not have remained the Speaker of the Lagos Assembly.

However, the goodwill Obasa enjoyed from Tinubu, it was alleged, caused him to show unmuffled disdain for other members of the Lagos legislature. True, an assembly speaker is the de facto number three citizen of a state, but in reality, whoever holds that position is only primus inter pares in his formal relationship with his colleagues in the house. But Obasa, who was serving his third term as speaker, was alleged to have conducted himself like a sovereign, treating other lawmakers like subjects. He commanded respect and fear. His colleagues in the House of Assembly were in awe of him.  His sneeze, it seemed, was potent enough to chill the bones of his fellow state parliamentarians.

“They (the other lawmakers) could not sit down if they were in his presence. They had to remain on their feet. I used to wonder why they could not assert themselves before him,” a former legislative aide in the Lagos State House of Assembly told TheNEWS.

Tired of Obasa’s alleged high-handedness, his colleagues resolved to remove him from his position. This was on January 13, 2025. The same day, he was replaced by his former Deputy, Mojisola Meranda. At this time, Obasa was vacationing in the United States of America.

 

Addressing the media shortly after the removal, a member of the House, Abiodun Tobun, flanked by other lawmakers, described the decision as a necessary step to protect the integrity of the legislative body.

He said: “Change is inevitable. The members of this House, in exercising our constitutional right to regulate our proceedings, unanimously decided that we had endured enough under the leadership of the Right Honourable Speaker. Today, we have resolved to replace him to safeguard the sanctity and reputation of this Assembly.”

Obasa was also accused by his colleagues of misappropriating public funds. He was particularly alleged to have recklessly spent N17 billion on a gate to the Assembly complex. He was also alleged to have spent ₦200 million on a Thanksgiving event that was not held.

But obviously, there were more reasons for Obama’s disgraceful removal than these. The man had also offended some party stalwarts in the state.

Obasa was first elected into the House of Assembly in 2027. He won re-elections in 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. He first emerged as Speaker in 2015. In 2019, he was re-elected Speaker. He was yet elected in 2023. He was in his 10th year as Speaker before he was given the boot by his colleagues.

Observers say his meteoric political rise and upward trajectory in the House of Assembly caused him to disrespect the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

His attempt to scrap the 37 Local Council Development Areas established by Tinubu in 2003 when the latter was the governor of Lagos and convert them into Administrative Areas under a new law was said to have drawn the ire of political bigwigs in Lagos. President Tinubu was said to have been miffed by the move. He reportedly warned Obasa to perish the thought.

Obasa was also rumoured to have the ambition to become the governor of Lagos in 2027. This alleged ambition may not have ruffled feathers, but for the belief that Obasa was surreptitiously aligning with Rauf Aregbesola, the former Osun State governor who had become a political foe of Tinubu. Aregbesola has a significant following in the Alimosho area of Lagos. And this could be a boost to Obasa’s alleged dream to lead the state.

Obasa screamed blue murder after his removal, which was reported as impeachment by a section of the media. Addressing supporters and journalists, he claimed that his removal was invalid as it did not follow constitutional procedure.  He said he was still the Speaker of the House.

“My status in the house? I believe strongly I am still the speaker until the right thing has been done. If you want to remove me, remove me the proper way, and I will not contest it. I’m a Muslim, and I believe in fate. But let’s do it the way it should be done,” Obasa said, thus indicating he would somewhat contest his ouster.

He also debunked the corruption allegations against him. He said, “Is it possible to construct an ordinary gate with N16 billion? It is not the wall of Jericho or the wall that demarcated the United States of America and Mexico.

“How can they say we bought one Hilux bus for N1 billion each and that we bought 40 pieces for N40 billion? I am not disturbed or perturbed, and I am not afraid. I will debunk all the allegations levelled against me by the House.

“I have not done anything wrong. I have been a lawmaker for over two decades, and I am the longest-serving lawmaker in the House.”

The House of Assembly responded to Obasa’s rant. In a statement signed by Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode on behalf of the Assembly, the lawmakers said they stood by their decision.

“There is no ambiguity. Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa was impeached, and nothing has changed.

“The House remains steadfast in its commitment to good governance and harmonious relations with other arms of government,” the statement said.

The statement appealed to Obasa “to embrace peace and harmony as his current posture risks heating the polity, which is not in the best interest of Lagos.” The statement also warned that “any attempts to disrupt the Assembly’s unity would be resisted.”

Amid tight security, plenary resumed on Monday, 27th January, but Obasa, who was thought to have plans to storm the House, was absent.

But a twist was added to the saga on January 30th when two of the lawmakers, Lanre Afinni (Lagos Island 2) and Sylvester Ogunkelu (Epe 2), were detained by the Department of State Services over the allegation that they broke into the office of the Clerk of the House to retrieve the mace. About 20 of their colleagues had to storm the office of the DSS at Shangisha, where the two lawmakers were being held, to demand their release.

The House later released a statement announcing that the detained lawmakers had been released while insisting the process adopted to remove Obasa was constitutional.

It remains to be seen whether the former Speaker who fell from an Olympian height would eventually accept his fate or continue fighting to keep his position.

* TheNews