Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa was given a chance to honourably resign from office but he snubbed the offer, a member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) confided in our correspondent on Tuesday.
Obasa, who represents Agege Constituency I, was impeached in absentia on Monday by more than two-thirds of the 40- member legislative house while he was in Atlanta, United States over multiple allegations of fraud.
His 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.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who has been having a running battle with the former Speaker has denied involvement, saying Obasa’s impeachment “is purely a legislative matter and the Assembly handled it the best way they could”.
Speaking with TheScrutiny , the GAC member who was also present at the Lagos State House of Assembly in November 2024 when Governor Sanwo-Olu presented the 2025 Appropriation Bill of N3.005 trillion to the State House of Assembly said it was clear to all that there is a “no love lost relationship between the executive and legislative arm of government in the state”.
According to him, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a disciplined and well-organised party cannot allow any form of “unnecessary and needless crisis in the home-base of the president”.
“ I don’t share your sentiments that the former speaker was disgraced out of office. He was given the option to resign but he rejected it. Having rejected it, the lawmakers who elected him to lead them did the needful by removing him as Speaker and I can assure you they got the blessings of the party elders to do so”.
“I was at the State House of Assembly in November last year when the governor came to present the budget and he was given a hostile reception. He was kept waiting outside for hours while the lawmakers were holding their plenary without recourse to the fact that the number one citizen of the state was waiting outside with party leaders who had come to witness the event”.
“After a long wait, the governor decided to go in. When he entered the chamber, a lawmaker who was speaking stopped what he was saying but the former speaker (Obasa) asked the lawmaker to continue speaking. It was that bad” he said.
“Look at the combative nature of the speech the speaker read on the day of the budget presentation. The former speaker said “Today, we want to assure Mr Governor that this honourable House will look at the budget and do the necessary scrutiny as usual. But it should be noted that this institution remains resolute. We will never be disgraced, abused or ridiculed in the name of creating a seamless working ambiance”.
“The former speaker was picking fights with the governor because of his ambition. He was even asking government staff to report through him. The party leadership was aware of his governorship posters in some parts of the state”.
When asked if President Tinubu intervened, the source told our correspondent that the impeachment of the former speaker got the president’s blessings having warned him but he (Obasa) chose to remain recalcitrant.
“ Of course, the president had to intervene. He can’t fold his hands and watch while his home-base is in crisis. If you can’t put your house in order, how then can you do same for the whole country? During the yuletide holidays, the president warned the former speaker to show respect to the governor and also learn from the deputy governor who has shown absolute loyalty and utmost respect for the governor but he won’t listen”.
“I think the former speaker allowed the arrogance of office to get into his head. Providence made him Speaker in 2015 because many had thought the speakership position will be zoned to Lagos Central senatorial district as the then governor, Akinwunmi Ambode was from Lagos East while the then deputy, Idiat Adebule was from Lagos West. However, in a dramatic twist, the speakership was zoned to the West in Agege and Obasa became the Speaker.
“Obasa was not really known to Asiwaju as a floor member of the House. Asiwaju only knew him well when he became speaker. However, he won Asiwaju’s hearts when he masterminded the defection of six PDP lawmakers in the Assembly to APC. That was how he became one of the president’s favourites but is that the reason why he has to be so arrogant to the governor and party and leaders?” he asked.
When asked if the former speaker can challenge his removal in court, the GAC member said, “ Yes, he has liberty to do so but he is wise enough to know the consequences”.
