After recognizing the role played by the state administration, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in Obasa’s impeachment, President Bola Tinubu said that he intervened to help restore Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Sources close to Tinubu’s Wednesday meeting with state lawmakers claim that the president voiced concerns about Sanwo-Olu’s degree of influence, saying that the governor’s power was concerning and that he had a stake in choosing the Speaker of the Assembly.
At the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu had a private meeting with Speaker Obasa, Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda, and other MPs from Lagos State. The Lagos State House of Assembly’s leadership issue was the reason for the gathering. According to a source with knowledge of the meeting’s proceedings, “President Tinubu explained at the meeting that Obasa avoided impeachment because he saw the lasting fingerprints of the Lagos executive led by Sanwo-Olu in the Speaker’s removal, and he found it unsettling why the executive would be interested in who should emerge as the Speaker.”
Security personnel swiftly ushered the parliamentarians into the President’s office complex as they arrived at the Presidential Villa before 3:00 PM on Wednesday. Notably, at approximately 3:00 PM, Obasa, whose contentious return had exacerbated differences within the Assembly, arrived separately. Following Tinubu’s decision to organize a chartered airplane to convey all Lagos Assembly members to Abuja in an attempt to quell the growing political unrest, the high-stakes meeting was held. Lagos politics have been rattled by the issue since Obasa was impeached on January 13 on charges of financial mismanagement and corruption.
At first, lawmakers hailed his dismissal as a triumph for accountability; however, his contentious reinstatement resulted from pressure from APC leaders, who were supported by Tinubu. Following Obasa’s removal, Meranda was briefly appointed Speaker but was compelled to resign under pressure from party leaders, allegedly as part of an agreement to preserve party unity. Many politicians are still incensed by what they see to be Tinubu’s overbearing meddling, even though she was ultimately rewarded with the office of Deputy Speaker. SaharaReporters found out, however, that Tinubu chastised Obasa for being late for the meeting.
The Speaker received a lot of flak for arriving late as usual. According to a source, the President dressed him down for the first ten minutes. Resolutions Made by Tinubu Tinubu asked the MPs to permit Obasa to continue in his role after hearing all sides of the debate—Obasa and the lawmakers who opposed his return as Speaker. Additionally, he gave Obasa instructions to drop his legal challenges to his dismissal. “We should allow the Speaker to return as the Speaker,” the President begged. Additionally, he gave the Speaker (Obasa) instructions to go and withdraw his court applications, according to a source.
Tinubu made the decision to keep the incumbent committee chairmen and major officials in their roles. However, a source claimed that during a contentious discussion in front of President Tinubu, he advised the lawmakers to let the court handle the clerk’s case because it was already in court. “All of the other lawmakers want Taiwo Ottun, the current clerk, to continue serving as the clerk, while the Speaker wants Olalekan Onafeko, the former clerk.” The Lagos State Assembly, led by Obasa, requested the deployment of armed security guards to strengthen the Assembly complex, according to a report published by SaharaReporters on Wednesday.
This came after the state’s legislative branch was left in disarray by contradictory court rulings. Obasa requested further security reinforcement at the Assembly compound in Alausa, Ikeja, according to a leaked letter signed by O. B. Onafeko, the Clerk of the House, and written to the Lagos State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). “I am requesting that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’ Armed Officers provide security cover for the Lagos State House of Assembly, along with honorable members and staff, per the directive of the House Leadership,” the letter stated.
The paper also stated that 20 private security guards would assist NSCDC staff in securing the property, suggesting that the leadership expects potential disturbance or conflict. This plea was made when the National Industrial Court (NIC) stated that, in contrast to allegations that Obasa’s camp had been spreading, it had not ordered Clerk Onafeko’s reinstatement. Until further hearings, the court had only ordered the parties to keep the peace. Onafeko’s violent seizure of the Assembly Secretariat, which involved ejecting Acting Clerk Ottun with the help of security personnel, shocked Justice M.N. Esowe during the most recent court session on March 12, 2025.
O.O. Oniyire (SAN), the Assembly’s counsel, charged Onafeko of scheming the legal system and disseminating false information regarding his purported reinstatement. A resolution to the problem was further delayed when the court set a hearing date of March 18 for all remaining applications. SaharaReporters previously revealed that a multi-billion naira procurement fraud involving official vehicles for MPs has exacerbated the Lagos Assembly’s leadership dilemma. The acquisition of 39 SUVs, a project that Obasa had initially approved prior to his dismissal in January, was reportedly the source of disagreement. According to SaharaReporters, Obasa reportedly approved the purchase of 10 Toyota Prado SUVs and 35 Toyota Fortuner SUVs from Dubai for an astounding N7 billion.
But during her brief time as Speaker, Mojisola Meranda looked over the plan and decided to save the Assembly N2 billion by using a local dealer who provided 32 2025 Toyota Prado SUVs and seven 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser models for N5 billion. Obasa reportedly became outraged by this move and demanded the return of all SUVs purchased under Meranda. According to sources who spoke to SaharaReporters, Obasa initially intended to give away 45 opulent cars, four of which would have been for him and his two wives. Obasa also unilaterally changed the legal team that represented the Lagos Assembly in court without informing the 35 legislators who had first supported his impeachment, which was another contentious action.
Members of the Assembly and attorneys were incensed by the action. Following the filing of several fresh applications, Justice Yetunde Pinheiro has postponed the court hearing at the Ikeja High Court to March 17. On behalf of the 35 MPs who opposed Obasa, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana denounced the Speaker’s action as unlawful. Falana declared, “A plaintiff cannot force a lawyer on the defendants,” confirming that he and his legal team had been properly chosen by the majority of MPs.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
