Mudashiru Obasa, the recently impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly (HOA), is at the center of a political storm as he addresses the circumstances surrounding his removal. In a series of statements, Obasa subtly suggested that his impeachment stemmed from rumors about his alleged interest in running for Lagos State Governor, a position currently held by Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Obasa denied the allegations outright, including claims that he spent ₦16 billion to construct a gate, sarcastically asking, “Is it the Gate of Jericho?” He also revealed that his impeachment was allegedly orchestrated in collaboration with the Lagos Police Commissioner, who deployed over 200 officers to secure his family indoors while executing the removal.

The former Speaker questioned the legitimacy of the process, stating, “If you want to impeach someone, the person has to be on seat, and you don’t do it with a fake mace.” Obasa claimed he had secured the two official maces before leaving for the United States, labeling the one used during his impeachment as fake. However, the House of Assembly argued otherwise, stating that an old mace was used for the procedure.

Obasa, who served as Speaker for ten years and has been a member of the Lagos HOA since 2007, expressed disappointment over the manner of his removal. “If they didn’t want me anymore, it could have been peacefully sorted,” he lamented. He called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and nullify the impeachment, though reports suggest that Tinubu may have endorsed his removal.

The impeachment, which occurred on November 13 while Obasa was abroad, saw 32 out of 40 HOA members vote in favor of his removal. Mojisola Meranda of Agege was promptly installed as the new Speaker. The development follows Obasa’s alleged expression of interest in succeeding Sanwo-Olu as Lagos Governor, a position for which Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, is reportedly being groomed.

The HOA justified Obasa’s removal with allegations of financial misconduct, including the purported ₦16 billion gate project, awarding contracts to himself, and ₦43 billion allocated for car maintenance, among other accusations. Notably, Sahara Reporters had previously linked Obasa to 64 bank accounts allegedly used for laundering state funds in a 2020 report. The outlet has since claimed that Obasa has fallen out of favor with President Tinubu, although the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is reportedly not pursuing charges against him.

Despite the controversy, Obasa is reportedly preparing to resume at the HOA as Speaker. Security has been intensified around the Assembly complex to forestall any potential unrest. Political analysts suggest that Obasa’s next move will determine whether the impasse escalates further, with many cautioning that defying the House could lead to significant consequences.