SaharaReporters reported on Friday night that Obasa was set to
return to Lagos on Saturday.
Impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to have his impeachment nullified, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Meanwhile, his loyalists are planning a lavish welcome party for him, sources told SaharaReporters.
Obasa was impeached earlier this month for gross misconduct
and abuse of office, prompting his swift departure to the US, a source close to
the Lagos House of Assembly told SaharaReporters.
It was learnt that the former speaker who fell out of favour
of favour with President Tinubu returned to Abuja last weekend after assurances
of no arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or any other
law enforcement agencies.
It was earlier reported that the former Speaker was facing
scrutiny from the EFCC over allegations of misappropriating ₦43.5 billion in
state funds.
Sources told SaharaReporters that during a meeting with
Tinubu, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and some other All Progressives
Congress stakeholders following Obasa’s impeachment, he argued that his
impeachment ought to be nullified because he had hidden the two maces in
possession of the state House of Assembly.
However, He was informed that the mace used during the session
in which he was impeached was brought from the old Assembly building.
One of the sources said, “President Tinubu had summoned all
the stakeholders; Lagos lawmakers, Lagos Governor’s Advisory Council, Obasa
himself and Lagos Governor to Abuja for consultations and understanding.
“The President was unhappy the removal of Obasa was
orchestrated without his express approval, and that he learnt about it from the
news and social media. Except this lack of approval, he told Obasa that “he was
not born a Speaker, and that speakership was not created with him”.
“Obasa pushed for the nullification of his impeachment on the
grounds that the mace used to conduct business of the day on that fateful day
wasn’t the official mace of the Lagos House of Assembly, considering he hid
away the two maces while travelling out of the country.
“The lawmakers defeated his argument by confirming the mace
used as the old mace of the parliament in the old building of the assembly. Seeing
the futility of his claims, Obasa requested the President to prevail on the new
leadership to grant him access to his belongings at the Speaker’s lodge and
guest house. This was granted by the President,” the source added.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Obasa is expected to visit
the lodge and guest house today (Saturday), after returning to Lagos.
“But his visit will be under strict supervision to ensure no
public property is looted by the former Speaker.
“To safe face, the Chairman of Agege local government, Ganiyu
Egunjobi has embarked on mobilisation of Obasa’s supporters to receive him on
arrival in Lagos and also attend a meeting convened by the former Speaker in
GRA, Ikeja later today,” one of the sources said.
SaharaReporters reported on Friday that upon his return, Obasa
would move to his house at Joel Ogunnaike in GRA, Ikeja at 9.00 am where his
loyalists would organise a large welcome party for him.
“Deposed Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly will return to Lagos
tomorrow and move to his house at Joel Ogunnaike, GRA Ikeja at 9.00 am prompt
where a welcome party awaits him,” the source said.
Background
Obasa was impeached by more than two-thirds of the 40-member
legislative house over alleged misconduct and sundry offences.
Obasa’s deputy, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, was immediately
elected the new Speaker, becoming the first female to take charge of the
legislative body in the Southwest state.
Obasa, from Agege Constituency I, was first elected into the House
in 2007. He has since been in the chamber since then. He emerged speaker in
June 2015 before his removal in January 2025.
On Monday, January 13, 2025, Obasa was impeached for gross
misconduct and abuse of office.
On May 14, 2020, SaharaReporters reported that in another
misuse of public funds and abuse of office, then Speaker of Lagos State House
of Assembly, Obasa, received N53m from the state coffers to travel with his
mistress to the United States of America.
The report said Obasa got the House to approve the fund to
facilitate a trip to Georgia, United States, for the 2019 US-Nigeria Trade and
Investment Global Summit, which he was billed to attend with some members of
the Assembly and their staff.
The event was subsequently postponed but rather than return
the fund to the state’s treasury, Obasa diverted the funds for personal use as
he travelled to the US with his mistress.
In a document sighted by SaharaReporters dated October 15,
2019, Obasa had requested the Assembly to release the funds so he could attend
the summit along with one of his staff.
The document partly read, “Given the above, kindly seek
approval of the Rt. Hon. Speaker for release of the sum of N53,719,405 only to
enable them to attend the programme.
“Hon. Speaker, please read from page 39 of file. You are
respectfully invited to consider and approve the release of N53,719,405 to
facilitate the attendance of the Hon. Speaker, Hon. members and one member of
staff at the Y2019 US – Nigeria Trade and Investment Global Summit scheduled to
take place in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, from 26th – 28th September 2019.”
It was gathered that though the meeting was rescheduled, Obasa
travelled to the US with his mistress in place of his legislative staff.
An official of the Lagos Assembly, who spoke with
SaharaReporters, said the Speaker was always in the habit of travelling with
his mistress in place of his staff whenever he was leaving the country for
official purpose.
“The Speaker and his mistress, who doubles as his protocol and
external relations officer in the Assembly, only went to the US after
collecting N53m for the US-Nigeria Trade and Investment Global Summit.
“No other staff or member of the Assembly travelled with the
Speaker or attended the event,” the source said.
Another person close to the Speaker’s team also confirmed the
lamentation and anger of some of the staff listed on this approval, who
couldn’t embark on the trip or get a share of the money.
SaharaReporters had also exposed how Obasa fraudulently
approved millions of naira for himself through the award of contracts to
companies owned by him.
Other reports also revealed how he approved N17m monthly to
maintain his personal residence and guest house.
SaharaReporters
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