President Bola Tinubu, mindful of divisions exposed by his loss of Lagos State in the 2023 presidential vote, is keen to avoid further cracks in his political stronghold.
A political rift in Lagos State threatens to unsettle Nigeria’s commercial capital just months before local council elections, following the abrupt impeachment of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. Obasa, who led the state’s House of Assembly for a decade, was removed by lawmakers on 13 January while he was away from the city, underscoring a power struggle within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I believe 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,” Obasa told a gathering of supporters while dismissing allegations of fraud.
The state’s top legislator was perceived as untouchable because he had the strong backing of President Bola Tinubu who has been politically influential in the state for over 20 years.
An aide to Tinubu tells The Africa Report that Obasa stayed on as speaker for so long not only because of his loyalty but because the president needed him to help keep governors on their toes.
“Tinubu’s style is simple. He picks governors and also the speaker who has the powers to impeach the governor anytime such governor steps out of line. This has helped him maintain control of Lagos,” the aide said.
But politicians in Lagos State say this power bestowed on Obasa by Tinubu made him arrogant to the extent of publicly disrespecting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other leaders.
During the presentation of the 2025 budget proposal by Governor Sanwo-Olu back in December, Obasa arrived late. His speech at the event, wherein he stated that he was also qualified to be governor, was seen as an insult.
Obasa’s removal was not sanctioned by the president. It was also done in his absence. It was simply a coup
“Beyond the issue of the budget and the delay of the governor, Obasa took a position contrary to that of his governor and his party… For him to go against such an establishment, he had to face the consequences,” Muiz Banire, a former commissioner and national legal adviser of the APC, said on Channels Television.
When Tinubu visited Lagos during the Christmas holidays, the political leadership in the state known as the Governors’ Advisory Council (GAC) laid several complaints before Tinubu against Obasa.
Tinubu is said to have chastised Obasa and asked him to apologise to the GAC leadership, which comprises former governors, lawmakers and other top politicians who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos.
When Obasa failed to change his ways, some leaders in the state along with some lawmakers plotted his removal. While he was away on 13 January, the lawmakers impeached him and replaced him with Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda.
Obasa, who was being probed for alleged diversion of public funds, running into millions of dollars, was expected to just accept his fate and lick his wounds but things didn’t go as planned.
Unexpected consequences
The political leadership of Lagos State felt that since Tinubu was not happy with Obasa and had refused to see him, it meant they had the go-ahead to remove him but they seemed to have miscalculated.
Obasa found out that his removal had not been directly sanctioned by Tinubu. “Obasa’s removal was not sanctioned by the president. It was also done in his absence. It was simply a coup,” Niniola Moruf, an aide to the speaker, tells The Africa Report.
This gave him the impetus to insist that his removal was illegal and he has refused to vacate the official mansion of the speaker. “By the grace of God, Obasa is still the speaker and still occupies the official mansion,” Moruf said.
Also, federal investigators have refused to arrest him despite the many allegations levelled against him. Rather, the secret police arrested some of the people behind Obasa’s impeachment.
Two lawmakers – Lanre Afinni and Sylvester Ogunkelu – were detained on Thursday morning by the secret police for their role in Obasa’s impeachment. However, they were released after other lawmakers stormed the office of the secret police to demand their release and insist that the impeachment was legal.
President Tinubu was away in Abu Dhabi attending the sustainability week when the lawmakers impeached Obasa. “This was done without his knowledge, and he is upset because he is the leader in Lagos,” said one of the president’s advisers.
The source says that Tinubu reportedly told the GAC that even if Obasa is not reinstated, the person who should replace him should be from the same senatorial zone as Obasa in order to maintain the political balance of the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu is from the Lagos-Central senatorial district, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat is from Lagos-East senatorial district while Obasa was from Lagos-West. However, after Obasa was impeached, he was replaced by Meranda who is from Lagos Central just like Governor Sanwo-Olu while Lagos-West – the largest district – is unrepresented in the leadership of the state.
Wider implications
Lagos-West, which is the size of the other two zones combined. Obasa, who has won six legislative elections, is one of the most influential politicians in the region. This is so due to the fact that the senator representing that district, Oluranti Adebule, is weak politically. Obasa also leads a group within the APC known as The Mandate Group.
With Obasa removed as speaker, there is now a vacuum in the district especially as the state prepares to hold local council elections soon. The date is as yet unannounced, but the tenure of the current holders ends in May.
You cannot remove your best striker in the middle of the game. Tinubu understands this and that is why he is insisting on Obasa
Because Tinubu lost the presidential election in Lagos State to Peter Obi of the Labour Party in 2023, he has become more vulnerable and thus needs to ensure that his family stays intact.
“You cannot remove your best striker in the middle of the game. Tinubu understands this and that is why he is insisting on Obasa,” says Niniola Moruf, an aide to the impeached speaker.
Impeccable sources within the party say that Tinubu has asked the leaders in the state to immediately remove the new Speaker Meranda and replace her with one of the lawmakers from Lagos West.
“We told the president that most of the lawmakers are with Meranda. He said we must pick someone from Lagos West to replace her,” said a member of the GAC who added that the president was upset that a speaker could be impeached and another one installed without his permission.
Sensitive problem
However, Meranda who is the first woman to be appointed as speaker is fighting hard to maintain her seat.
Meranda, who is from the royal family in Lagos, is said to have gained the support of some traditional rulers, including her brother, Omogbolahan Lawal, who is the traditional ruler of Oniru in upscale Victoria Island.
“The challenge now is that Meranda is from Lagos. Obasa is even originally from Abeokuta in Ogun State. We cannot move against our own daughter,” said a serving leader of the APC in Lagos.
In a statement, Fouad Oki, a chieftain of the APC in Lagos, advised the party leadership to let Meranda continue and let sleeping dogs lie.
“It is important to acknowledge that perhaps there were missteps in engaging with party leadership before this decision [Obasa’s impeachment]. However, we must recognise that the decision has been made and stands as a fait accompli.
“In light of this, I appeal to your compassion and wisdom to allow the legislature the independence it deserves.”
However, insiders say Adedamola Kasunmu, a nephew of Tinubu is one of those being shortlisted as speaker as he comes from Lagos-West and is also a senior lawmaker.
There is also a push by some leaders in the state to give the position to Setonji David Samuel, the current deputy chief whip who hails from the marginalised area of Badagry which is also part of the Lagos-West senatorial district.
Observers warn that removing Meranda so soon would risk further turmoil at a time when Lagos needs stability to address economic challenges. Jide Ojo, a political analyst who follows the assembly, argues that while balancing power among the districts is important, the APC should avoid more infighting.
“The president needs to tread carefully. The deed has been done. Removing Meranda without any just reason would be counterproductive,” Ojo says. “The opposition could capitalise on this if the ruling party does not put its house in order.”
(The Africa Report)
