Like Wike, Obasa rejects Tinubu’s directive, refuses to withdraw case against Lagos Assembly
By KEMI KASUMU
At the resumed hearing of the case against the Lagos Assembly at the Lagos State High Court in Monday March 17, members of the Assembly were surprised to discover that Obasa, who was reinstated as Speaker, is still pursuing the lawsuit against the very institution he leads.
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has yet to withdraw his legal case against the Assembly, a media report says.
It was gathered that this is despite a recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu alongside other lawmakers at the State House.
This, The DEFENDER reports, is similar to the issue in Rivers State where the directive by the sane President Tinubu for Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, under a supposed eight-point agreement, to return home and withdraw their cases from courts was not only rejected by Wike though implemented by the governor but also has led to the current political crisis in the state.
Governor Fubara obeyed the Tinubu’s agreement and withdrew his case against 27 pro-Wike’s lawmakers but Wike continued his own case up to the Supreme Court and the Supreme used the governor’s withdrawal of the case based on the agreement against him to say there is no evidence that the lawmakers decamped.
In the sane vein, based on directive from the President, indigenous female Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, resigned for Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa to “return, resign and withdraw case against Assembly from court”.
While Meranda and all the 36 aggrieved lawmakers, who impeached Obasa on January 13, 2025 in the grounds of corruption and abuse of office, have since implemented the Tinubu’s directive with additional praise-singing of their standing on Tinubu’s mandate, only Obasa has failed to obey without Tinubu being able to say anything like he is unable to check his FCT Minister Wike against disturbances he is causing in Rivers State..
And, it was gathered that, Obasa, in doing all that had happened, enjoyed the full backing of Tinubu and his wife the First Lady as seen in his ability to use operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to harass his colleagues and legislative staff.
At the resumed hearing of the case against the Lagos Assembly at the Lagos State High Court in Monday March 17, members of the Assembly were surprised to discover that Obasa, who was reinstated as Speaker, is still pursuing the lawsuit against the very institution he leads.
A lawmaker, who spoke on the development, according to Western Post, expressed shock, stating that despite interventions from President Tinubu and other influential figures, including Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Obasa remains firm in his legal battle.
It was further gathered that Tinubu had instructed Lagos lawmakers to work with Obasa, while he directed the Speaker to withdraw his lawsuit against the Assembly and Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda but Obasa, like Nyesom Wike in Rivers, continues the case against the very Assembly he leads as Speakers.
By implications, Tinubu’s administration of Nigeria has more for people of wisdom to wonder as to what he and his supporters believe as playing politics.
A respondent, who spoke anonymously on the matter, said, “It is no rocket science to see what this is the kind political playing that makes his supporters call him a master strategist. They say Tinubu’s brain is flowing with politics and now, beyond Lagos State, all Nigerians have seen the limitation of the idol they celebrate the way he plays politics not for public or national interest but for self.”
