Impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to have his impeachment nullified, SaharaReporters has learnt.
SaharaReporters reported on Friday night that Obasa was set to return to Lagos today (Saturday).
Meanwhile, his loyalists are planning a lavish welcome party for him, sources told SaharaReporters.
Obasa was impeached earlier this month for gross misconduct and abuse of office, prompting his swift departure to the US, a source close to the Lagos House of Assembly told SaharaReporters.
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 told SaharaReporters 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 told SaharaReporters that Obasa is 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 safe 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.
SaharaReporters reported on Friday that upon his return, Obasa would move to his house at Joel Ogunnaike in GRA, Ikeja at 9.00 am where his loyalists would organise a large welcome party for him.
“Deposed Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly will return to Lagos tomorrow and move to his house at Joel Ogunnaike, GRA Ikeja at 9.00 am prompt where a welcome party awaits him,” the source 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, who spoke with SaharaReporters, 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)
