President Bola Tinubu has taken responsibility for the reinstatement of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. His interest in Obasa’s return followed his observation of the state executive’s influence, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in Obasa’s impeachment.
Sources from an emergency meeting with state lawmakers on Wednesday reported that the President expressed concern over Sanwo-Olu’s recent political power, highlighting the troubling nature of the governor’s involvement in the Speaker’s fate.
Media outlets reported that Tinubu convened a closed-door emergency meeting with Speaker Obasa, Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda, and other lawmakers at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to address the ongoing leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
According to a source familiar with the meeting, Tinubu indicated that Obasa’s survival from impeachment was due to the apparent influence of the Lagos executive, led by Sanwo-Olu, and questioned why the executive would care about who serves as Speaker.
Lawmakers arrived at the Presidential Villa before 3:00 PM on Wednesday and were escorted into the President’s office by security personnel. Notably, Obasa arrived separately around the same time.
This high-stakes meeting followed Tinubu’s decision to charter a flight for all Lagos Assembly members to Abuja to help resolve the escalating political crisis. The turmoil began after Obasa’s impeachment on January 13 over corruption and financial mismanagement allegations. Initially, lawmakers celebrated his removal as a win for accountability, but pressure from APC leaders, supported by Tinubu, led to his reinstatement.
Meranda, who briefly served as Speaker after Obasa’s ouster, stepped down under pressure from party leaders and was later appointed Deputy Speaker. Many lawmakers voiced their anger over what they perceived as Tinubu’s undue influence in the matter.
During the meeting, Tinubu reportedly reprimanded Obasa for his tardiness, spending the first ten minutes addressing his lateness.
After hearing from both Obasa and the opposing lawmakers, Tinubu urged them to allow Obasa to retain his position and instructed him to withdraw any legal challenges regarding his removal. A source stated, “The President pleaded for the Speaker’s return and directed him to withdraw his court applications.”
Tinubu determined that the current principal officers and committee chairpersons would remain in their roles. However, regarding the issue of the clerk, he advised lawmakers to let the court address it, as it was already in litigation. The dispute centers around Obasa’s preference for the former clerk, Olalekan Onafeko, while other lawmakers support the current clerk, Taiwo Ottun.
On Wednesday, it was reported that the Lagos State Assembly under Obasa sought armed security personnel to reinforce the Assembly complex amid conflicting judicial rulings causing chaos within the legislative body. A letter from the Assembly’s Clerk, O. B. Onafeko, requested additional security from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
This request followed a clarification from the National Industrial Court (NIC) stating it had not ordered Onafeko’s reinstatement, contrary to claims by Obasa’s camp. The court merely instructed both parties to maintain peace until further hearings.
During a recent court session, Justice M.N. Esowe expressed disbelief at Onafeko’s aggressive takeover of the Assembly Secretariat, using security forces to oust Acting Clerk Ottun. The Assembly’s counsel accused Onafeko of manipulating the judicial process and spreading false information about his alleged reinstatement.
The court has scheduled March 18 for the hearing of all pending applications, delaying a resolution to the crisis. The leadership turmoil has been exacerbated by a multi-billion naira procurement scandal involving official vehicles for lawmakers.
Sources revealed that a contentious purchase of 39 SUVs, initially approved by Obasa before his removal, was at the center of the dispute. Obasa had sanctioned the procurement of 35 Toyota Fortuner SUVs and 10 Toyota Prado SUVs from Dubai for an estimated N7 billion. However, during Meranda’s brief tenure, she opted for a deal with a local dealer, reducing the cost to N5 billion with different models, which allegedly angered Obasa.
Additionally, Obasa had controversially replaced the legal team representing the Assembly in court without consulting the lawmakers who had previously voted for his impeachment, leading to outrage among his peers and legal professionals.
In a recent court hearing, Justice Yetunde Pinheiro postponed proceedings to March 17 after multiple new applications were filed. Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, representing the dissenting lawmakers, criticized Obasa’s actions as illegal, asserting that a plaintiff cannot impose legal representation on defendants.
