Was He Acting like an Emperor? 3 Major Reasons Behind Obasa’s Removal As Lagos Assembly Speaker
- Members of the Lagos Assembly impeached Mudashiru Obasa, the speaker, over allegations bordering on fraud and abuse of office and Hon. Mojisola Meranda was swiftly elected to take over
- Obasa, who represented Agege State Constituency I, in 2007, was reelected four times in 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023
- This article highlighted three possible reasons that contributed to Obasa's impeachment as the third man in power in Lagos state
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
Lagos State - On Monday, January 13, Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, was impeached over alleged gross misconduct and abuse of office, ending his tenure as speaker since 2015.
Source: Twitter
Obasa, who represents Agege State Constituency I, was first elected in 2007 and re-elected four times in 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. He was first elected speaker in 2015.
The 32 members of the assembly, removed Obasa from his position and accused him of spending N17 billion on a gate to the assembly complex, which critics argued was excessive and fraudulent.
The Nigerian Tribune reported that there have also been allegations of mishandling constituency funds and projects.
Meranda replaces Obasa
In a swift move, the lawmakers elected and swore in Honourable Mojisola Meranda as speaker of the state assembly.
Legit.ng highlights three possible reasons behind the embattled speaker's impeachment.
1. Political missteps by Obasa
As reported by Vanguard, Obasa’s strained relationship with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state and his alleged disrespect during the 2025 budget presentation contributed to his political downfall.
Many likened him to an emperor in Lagos state. Following the show of power, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) invited him to a meeting where he was sternly warned and chastised for disrespecting Sanwo-Olu and mismanaging the politics of the state because of his ambition.
It is believed that Obasa’s fate was decided at the meeting, as Tinubu reportedly said he knew what to do on the matter.
Also, Obasa's ordeal came amid the speculation surrounding Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Tinubu, as a potential candidate for the 2027 Lagos state governorship race.
Dr. Obasa said he had not given a serious thought about becoming the next governor of the state as was already being speculated.
The embattled speaker said his major concern has been to strengthen the party in the state.
2. Allegations of financial misappropriation
According to reports, Obasa was accused of spending N17 billion to fix the assembly complex gate.
Obasa was also accused of financial mismanagement involving N44 billion allocated for vehicles and capital projects for over two years.
The allegation generated concerns and questions about transparency and accountability in the assembly’s financial operations from critics, including lawmakers and residents. Another N13.33 billion was earmarked for vehicles in 2024.
Reacting to the claims, Obasa described the allegation as “fake news, spurious and funny.”
Speaking further, he noted that the allegation stemmed from the fear of some people over the 2027 general elections which were still more than two years away.
3. Questionable capital projects
Reports disclosed that critics debated over Obasa’s leadership and argued that his tenure was marked by misplaced priorities.
Additionally, Obasa's leadership was heavily criticised, particularly over alleged financial irregularities in how funds were allocated for projects.
Critics argued the N1.1 billion allocated for properties in 2023 was excessive, particularly when essential sectors like education, healthcare, and infrastructure were underfunded.
Also, they questioned the N126 million allocated for properties in Abuja in the 2024 budget.
Critics also questioned why the state’s funds were being spent outside its jurisdiction. According to critics, these expenditures suggested a troubling pattern of fiscal mismanagement and misplaced priorities, fueling public anger.
Read also
Arrested Obasa supporters chant Tinubu’s ‘on your mandate’ song in police van, video trends
Therefore, when the lawmakers suddenly moved for the impeachment of Obasa on Monday, they insisted on a change of leadership in the assembly.
Interestingly, the speed of the process suggested that there was a master plan, and not a coincidence or on-the-spot decision.
Read more about Obasa's impeachment here:
- Obasa's impeachment: APC chieftain mentions what Tinubu saw
- Obasa: List of speakers of Lagos State House of Assembly since 1999
Obasa, 24 other assembly speakers sacked in Nigeria
Meanwhile, following the impeachment of Obasa as Lagos assembly speaker, Legit.ng highlighted state House of Assembly speakers who have been impeached in Nigeria since the country returned to democratic rule (1999).
Several state assemblies like Edo, Anambra, Niger, Plateau, Delta, Imo, Ekiti, Katsina and others have impeached their speaker at different times.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
