The impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa as speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday did not come as a surprise to many observers, considering the controversies which had trailed him in recent years.
On Monday in plenary, the 52-year-old lawmaker was accused of gross misconduct and abuse of office. Ninety percent of the Lagos lawmakers voted to impeach him, and Obasa was subsequently replaced by his deputy, Mojisola Meranda.
Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency 1, is also a former chief whip of the house. Mojeed Fatai was elected the new deputy speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
A source told BusinessDay that Obasa might have been impeached because of his 2027 ambition.
Political watchers say the Agege politician’s problems started when he began to build structures across 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs). The structures were given a nomenclature – the Obasa’s Support Group.
Political observers say the support group is targeted at controlling the grassroots ahead of his Lagos governorship ambition in 2027.
Observers say he took it a little far when he proposed a bill to empower the Assembly to remove the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) chairman and wanted to pressure Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to sign the bill.
It was also alleged that Obasa’s ‘disrespect’ for the governor got the attention of the Governor advisory Members (GAC) who reported him to President Bola Tinubu.
“His unfriendly attitude towards the governor is known by everyone. He was invited to a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, which marked the end of his tenure as speaker of Lagos Assembly. The rest is history,” the source told BusinessDay.
Obasa, who represents Agege Constituency 1, was first elected in 2007. He has been re-elected four times in 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023.
However, in recent years, he has not enjoyed a cordial working relationship with the Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu.
Another source revealed that Obasa ignored warnings from President Tinubu and the GAC to refrain from using his position to advance personal interests.
Reports indicate that the former speaker recently instructed lawmakers to purchase festive gifts for his political movement, a move viewed as a direct defiance of party directives.
This development raised concerns within party ranks, underscoring Obasa’s alleged disregard for the party’s leadership and internal rules.
