By Olaitan Ibrahim
Barely 48 hours after returning to the country from the United States of America and being unable to meet with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, a defiant former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, on Saturday dared his colleagues, insisting that he remains the speaker of the state assembly.
This is just as the state lawmakers asked the residents of the state to ignore the rantings of the former speaker, warning him not to heat up the polity.
Addressing a mammoth crowd of his supporters at his official residence at the GRA, Ikeja, Obasa, who represents Agege, insisted that his impeachment did not follow due process.
According to him, the election of Hon. Mojisola Meranda as the new Speaker did not follow the law, declaring his removal null and void.
The embattled lawmaker alleged that a fake mace was used to install Meranda as Speaker, adding that hundreds of policemen invaded the assembly on the day of his removal to intimidate his loyalists.
Obasa also alleged that some policemen invaded his official residence on the same day and prevented members of his family in the house from coming out.
While vowing to resume as Speaker, Obasa also said he would challenge his removal in court.
“The speakership is not Obasa’s title; it is like a general. When you go to war, you may come out or you may not come back. So, I am not disturbed, perturbed or worried about the purported removal,” he said.
While hinting that the action must have had the tacit support of the executive arm of government in the state, he said that “however, things must be done properly. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police led police officers to invade the state assembly on the day of the removal, while over 200 policemen also invaded my private residence in Agege.
“They also blocked the gate to my official residence, while they prevented members of my family from going out of the house.
“I am not afraid of being removed; I have been a member of the House for almost 22 years and Speaker for almost 10 years and I think I have contributed my quota. But why did they have to break the chamber and use a fake mace to carry out the removal? If they say they don’t want me again, it is fine, but let them follow due procedure. My status in the House is that I believe strongly that I remain the Speaker of the Assembly until the right procedure to remove me is followed,” he said.
According to him, the removal of speakers in the past was conducted in their presence, without police involvement and intrusion into the state legislative chamber.
“Rt. Hon. Pelumi is my brother and friend; when he was removed, he was on the floor of the House, probably even presiding.
When Hon. Funmi Tejuosho was removed, she was in the House and those who were suspended were also present.
“There was no involvement of the police, and the legislative chamber was not broken into. A fake mace was not brought to the House. I’m not afraid of being removed. If you have been a member of the House for over 20 years and Speaker for almost 10 years, you don’t get disturbed. But let them follow the proper procedure, and let us close this matter,” Obasa added.
He debunked the allegation that he spent N16 billion to construct a gate at the assembly complex, describing the allegation as ridiculous.
Obasa said it was not possible to construct any gate with N16 billion, just as he also debunked the allegation that he bought 40 Hilux vans for N40 billion as a speaker.
The former Speaker said he had not done anything wrong to warrant his removal, adding he had lived up to expectations, serving as a lawmaker for over two decades.
He stated that he believed so much in the assembly and would never partake in its destruction.
He appreciated members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for their love for the party and the state.
Obasa also thanked the First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu for her support, and President Tinubu, who he said would always be his father.
Obasa was removed on January 13, at a plenary, over allegations of multiple fraud and other acts of gross The House immediately replaced him with Meranda.
The Clerk of the House, Mr Olalekan Onafeko, was also suspended indefinitely, while the Chief Whip, Mr Mojeed Fatai, was elected the new Deputy Speaker.
In a related development and in apparent reaction to Obasa’s claims regarding his recent removal as its Speaker, the Lagos State House of Assembly also yesterday firmly responded to former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa’s rejection of his impeachment, declaring that his removal remains valid and final.In a statement signed by Hon. Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode on behalf of the Assembly, the lawmakers reiterated their unified support for the new Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, emphasising that the decision to impeach Obasa on January 13 was made with the backing of over two-thirds of the members.
“There is no ambiguity. Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa was impeached, and nothing has changed,” the statement read.
“The House remains steadfast in its commitment to good governance and harmonious relations with other arms of government.”
Obasa, who had rejected the impeachment on Saturday, claimed due process was not followed in his removal, maintaining that he remained the Speaker.However, the Assembly dismissed his stance as “uncalled for and unparliamentary.”Highlighting the legitimacy of their actions, the lawmakers noted that all members, representing various constituencies across Lagos State, have the constitutional right to remove principal officers, including the Speaker.
“We appeal to the former Speaker to embrace peace and harmony as his current posture risks heating up the polity, which is not in the best interest of Lagos,” the statement added, warning that any attempts to disrupt the Assembly’s unity would be resisted.
With Rt. Hon. Meranda firmly at the helm, the Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to delivering peace and good governance to the people of Lagos.
“Peace we want in Lagos, and peace we will achieve,” the statement concluded.
The political standoff continues, but the Assembly has left no doubt that, in their eyes, Obasa’s tenure as Speaker is officially over.