Mudashiru Obasa impeached as Lagos Assembly Speaker

By OUR REPORTER, Ikeja

The Lagos State House of Assembly’s Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajaiyi Obasa, has been impeached.

The DEFENDER reports that Obasa, a much talked about ambitious contender against Seyi Tinubu in the quest to succeed Babajide Sanwo-Olu as next Governor of Lagos State, was ousted from the office of number three most powerful government office holder in the Centre of Excellence, on Monday January 13, 20, 2025, on the grounds of gross misconduct and abuse of office, allegedly.

Although details of his impeachment were still sketchy at press time as Our Reporter was yet to ascertain what really happened, it could be recalled that in December, 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had publicly tongue-lashed him, after he (the president) was accused by opposition parties – including New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and Labour Party (LP) – of using the Speaker to truncate the upcoming Local Governments elections in the state through a state’s Local Government reviewed law.

But this global online newspaper reported then how some respondents dismissed the public tongue-lash by the president as, according to them, he used that to pretend like having no such plans. They expressed in unison that Obasa would eventually be sacrificed by him to save his face.

Another complication came, however, when the president – still within the same public comments – warned Obasa against disrespecting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, which again was seen as another ploy by him to claim innocence as a source expressed.

Reacting to Obasa’s ousting on Monday, an aggrieved All Progressives Congress (APC) member in Ikeja made his point about Tinubu who is believed the godfather of all the political players in the state.

“That is his way. He will be fighting you by proxy but maintains his smiling relationship with you. That was why after the public tongue-lash, you could see Obasa in a group photograph with him when he met with the supposed ‘Egbe Omo Eko’ led to him by Prince Tajudeen Olusi on December 29, 2024,” the source, who refused to reveal his identity, said.

According to the source, “that is the way Tinubu plays his own policy that many of his supporters call him a master strategist.

“To me, Obasa has no punishable offence under the Tinubu’s political class of Lagos other than his ambition to contest against Seyi Tinubu as successor of Sanwo-Olu in 2027. Take that to the bank from me. More on that list of ambitious contenders will still be brought down because the position they want to occupy as next governor is open to no other than Seyi, his son,” he said.

Our Reporter said the source was suspected to be one of aggrieved pubic servants politically motivated against the issue of one Muri-Okunola’s controversial promotion as permanent secretary in the state civil service.

A media report, on the Obasa’s impeachment, also said in its own findings on Monday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been petitioned in December 2024 to investigate him over allegations of financial misconduct, breach of public trust, and abuse of office.

Precisely, Sahara Reporters revealed that the petition filed by the Progressive Youth Movement of Ikeja, Lagos State, accused Obasa of using proxy companies to embezzle funds from the Lagos House of Assembly and violating due process and procurement regulations.

The petition, dated December 17, alleges that the Finance Management Committee had not met officially since the 10th Assembly was inaugurated, allowing Obasa to make unauthorised financial decisions.

The Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition previously filed a petition with the EFCC to investigate allegations of mismanaging N17 billion earmarked for constructing a gate at the Lagos State House of Assembly, as reported by SaharaReporters.

It reported that in the petition copy of which it obtained, the Progressive Youth Movement alleged that the Speaker awarded N469 million contract for the Construction of Ikeja Local Government Secretariat to Orgnitek Consult Limited, identifying it as one of the companies used to perpetrate his alleged fraudulent activities.

The group also alleged that the Speaker approved N200 million for thanksgiving at the Lagos State House of Assembly, saying it shouldn’t have cost more than N2 million.

The media further said that the embattled Agege State Constituency I lawmaker, when contacted, described the allegations as nonsensical and political.

He said, “…We should do ourselves favour, all this nonsense (unfounded allegations) is not going to help all of us at all. N200 million for a whole institution; let me break it down, a whole an institution which the members of the institution alone are almost one million people not to talk of extended invitation to the public including children’s party.

“When you consider the economic situation of today and in your own mind with your experience, do you believe that N200 million is so much to carry out such an event? I have not even agreed that it is N200 million that was spent but let me go with your figure.

“Secondly, the awarded contract – the company they mentioned, is it in my name? Do they see my name or the names of my family members as directors?

“And in the same manner I was accused of using N17 billion to construct a gate. How much is the House of Assembly allocation that I will now carry out the construction of a gate at the rate of N17 billion? For the fact that you want to satisfy some people, at least they should be reasonable.”

“When election is approaching all manner of allegations will start coming up. So, I don’t know what you expect me to say,” Mudashiru Obasa had reportedly added.

In the meantime, analysis of all information available to The DEFENDER on the issues can, more explicitly, point to politics of 2027 as reason for Obasa’s plight.