Nearly 10 years after he was first elected speaker for the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa has been kicked out of his exalted position by members of the state assembly.
The state’s lawmakers impeached the Speaker over allegations of abuse of office and gross financial misconduct, in a move that was as dramatic and controversial as the embattled former Speakers reign.
Obasa’s hitherto deputy, Mojisola Meranda, representing Apapa I Constituency, was elected Speaker, thereby making history as the first elected female Speaker of the Lagos State Assembly.
Obasa, whose survival till his unceremonious removal on Monday, made him a proverbial cat with nine lives because of the various controversies surrounding him, including his alleged corruption fights with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In 2020, a report by Sahara Report contained alleged misappropriation of public funds against Obasa, which he denied. e allegations.
The online media later claimed that he was taken in for questioning by the EFCC in October 2020, but the process was stymied after he allegedly feigned illness.
Meanwhile, various reports, including by Nairamatrics.com, claimed that Obasa’s impeachment on Monday followed several allegations made by the Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition against the Speaker.
Photo: The centre could no longer hold for Obasa
Obasa had been in the eye of the storm over several allegations, including that the Assembly, under his leadership, spent a staggering N17 billion on constructing the lawmakers’ building gate, as well as a claim that the House spent N200 million on its recently organised 22nd Thanksgiving service for staff.
Before the impeachment, Eromosele Ebhomele, his Chief Press Secretary, had debunked the allegations against his principal as “baseless and absurd”.
“It is so funny. How much is the allocation of the Assembly in a whole year that we would decide to spend N17 billion on a gate? They even claimed that we expended N200 million on a thanksgiving service that did not hold,” Ebhomele stated.
“We are aware that as we approach the 2027 elections, such allegations will arise. I think some people are scared, and I don’t know why.
“This House has not embarked on any such project. We are not that reckless. We had our thanksgiving last Friday, and dignitaries from various parts of the state attended,” he added.
Speaking in the same vein, the Assembly’s spokesperson, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, waved off the allegations, maintaining that the Assembly operates with integrity, transparency, and accountability.
Ogundipe stated, “The Lagos State House of Assembly does not have any such funds. The Assembly does not embark on constituency projects. Instead, once every year, the House holds stakeholders’ meetings simultaneously across the state, where constituents share their expectations and make requests for the betterment of the state.”
He further clarified that the lawmakers were not aware of or involved in any financial misappropriation.
Ogundipe advised the anti-corruption group to conduct thorough investigations before maligning an institution of repute under the guise of politics.
Meanwhile, many sources told our report that the high-octane drama in the State Assembly on Monday was not unconnected with the powerplay ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the richest state in Nigeria.
“We all know Lagos is richer than many countries in the world. What you are seeing is part of the alignment, calculations, game of chess and permutations ahead of the 2027 contest to choose Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s successor,” a source in the state executive council, told our reporter.
Our source said the impeached Speaker is one of those warming up to contest the only state in the southwest that has never been ruled by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
