A former speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has faulted his removal by lawmakers.
Obasa, who spoke for the first time on Saturday, said it was important for lawmakers to follow the constitutional procedure to remove him from office.
He also denied the allegations of corruption levelled against him by the lawmakers.
Obasa was removed by majority of House members on January 13 following allegations of misconduct and financial misappropriation.
He was subsequently replaced by a former deputy speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
The embattled lawmaker, who was in the United States of America when he was removed, spoke to a huge crowd of supporters at the Speaker’s Lodge, 47, GRA Ikeja, Lagos.
He said, “I thank you for your support and dedication. I will take this advantage to debunk the allegations that were circulated and raised about me.
“Is it possible to construct an ordinary gate with N16bn? It is not the wall of Jericho or the wall that demarcated the United States of America and Mexico.
“How can they say we bought one Hilux bus for N1bn each and that we bought 40 pieces for N40bn?
“I am not disturbed or perturbed and I am not afraid. I will debunk all the allegations levelled against me by the House.
“I have not done anything wrong. I have been a lawmaker for over two decades and I am the longest-serving lawmaker in the House.”
“I believe in removal. There is no impeachment in the Assembly. Probably, there is a mistake from them; you can only remove the speaker. And before you remove, you must ensure you follow the rules of the constitution. I’m not afraid to be removed, what else am I looking for?”
He accused the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Isola Olawale, of leading policemen to invade the Assembly on the day of the removal.
Obasa further alleged that over 200 policemen invaded his residence in the Agege area of the state, blocking the gate, which prevented members of his family from going out of the house.
“My children did not sleep in this house on that day because they were locked out, and my wife kept inside — house arrest,” he added.
“I am not afraid of being removed; after all, it is not my father’s chieftaincy title. I am representing my people and they have returned me six times. If you want to do anything, do it well. Not because you realise that I’ve been out of the country and you now brought policemen to invade the Assembly, my house in GRA and my house in Agege; it doesn’t make sense. Lagos is a special place; we cannot denigrate Lagos,” he said.
Obasa noted that when a former speaker, Jokotola Pelumi, was removed, the latter was in the House and the process was done without police involvement.
“If you want to claim that I’m corrupt, please prove it, let us see it. If you don’t want me to be the speaker, it’s not a difficult thing. The Lagos State House of Assembly is above the common standard of excellence because of the way we do our things. Can we claim the same now? I believe in the image of our institution, we must not destroy it and I will never partake in destroying it,” the lawmaker said.
Obasa explained that he had nothing against members of the Governance Advisory Council and the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
While fielding questions from journalists shortly after he addressed his supporters, Obasa insisted that he remained the speaker.
He said, “My status in the house? I strongly believe I am still the speaker until the right thing has been done. If you want to remove me, remove me the proper way and I will not contest it. I’m a Muslim and I believe in fate. But let’s do it the way it should be done.”
When asked if a legal battle is in the offing, Obasa responded, “You will know . It’s a matter of time. Thank you and God bless you.”
GAC member backs Obasa, chairman silent
Reacting to Obasa’s claims, a member of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council, Anthony Adefuye, expressed support for the former speaker.
Adefuye, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH on the phone, said, “What he’s saying is that he was illegally removed and the procedure was faulty and I agree with him.”
But the GAC Chairman, Tajudeen Olusi, while declining response, pointed out that it was his obligation to ensure the party functioned effectively in the state.
He said, “I think we should address issues squarely. Obasa said his removal was illegal. If that statement is correct, I don’t think you have to come to me. Illegality has to do with the law. I’m not a lawyer. It doesn’t clearly concern me.
“The man quoted should be asked what aspect of the law it is. I’m an elderly citizen of this country and particularly Lagos State. My responsibility is to ensure peace, harmony and cooperation of my party.”
The Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Seye Oladejo, emphasised that the party had no intention of interfering with the internal affairs of the House.
“The election of the leadership of the House remains strictly an internal affair. The party is not part of it, and we have no intention to (interfere),” Oladejo stated.
Don’t cause tension, House replies Obasa
However, the Assembly said the action of the former speaker was capable of causing tension in the state.
In a statement signed by a lawmaker, Ogundipe Olukayode, the Assembly said over two-thirds of its members supported the decision to impeach him and elect Meranda.
The statement read in part, “The position of the House remains the same and nothing has changed. The position being canvassed by the former speaker is uncalled for and unparliamentary.
“All members were elected from their various constituencies across the state and we all have the inalienable rights under the necessary statutory orders to remove their principal officers, including the speaker.
“I, therefore, appeal to the former speaker to toe the line of peace and harmony as being followed by others, as the current intransigent posture will heat up the polity and not augur well.
“Any attempt to heat up the polity will be resisted by the majority of distinguished members who unanimously elected Rt. Hon. Meranda.”
The state police commissioner, Ishola, declined to react to the allegation of abuse of power levelled against him by Obasa.
But when probed further by Sunday PUNCH, he said, “Listen to that message (Obasa’s address) all over and now go to town as an investigative journalist and make up your mind.”
Obasa toeing wrong path – Analysts
A political analyst, Professor Emmanuel Ojo, of the Department of Political Science, University of Ilorin, warned that Obasa might suffer “political death” because of his reaction.
He advised the lawmaker to challenge his removal in court rather than engaging in verbal attacks.
Ojo, a former Secretary to the Oyo State Government, argued that in modern democracy, unseen political forces often influence leadership decisions, and the former speaker might have outlived his usefulness to the “powers that be.”
He said, “Majority of the members of the assembly have impeached him (Obasa), whether rightly or wrongly, the best for him is to go to court to prove that he was illegally impeached. A competent court of law may reinstate him; it has nothing to do with talking to the press and whipping up unnecessary sentiment.
“If care is not taken, the man (Obasa) may suffer political death, so it is in his best interest to cool down or go to court, and allow the court to adjudicate rather than talking carelessly, abusing, or insulting everybody.”
Another political analyst, Prof. Hassan Saliu, said the future of the former speaker depends “on the politics on the ground”.
He said, “The man who believes he has not been removed will talk the way he (Obasa) is talking. He cannot install himself back to the seat. It depends on the powerful elements in Lagos politics. The President is the number one person there. There must be something making him have the confidence to come back.”
He further described the removal of speakers in Nigeria as a political manoeuvre.
“The issue is like a coup. The procedures for removing speakers seem too loose and should be revisited,” he added.
Similarly, a legal expert, Malachy Ugwummadu, weighed in on the constitutional aspect of the removal.
“If there is a political intervention in the state House of Assembly resulting in the removal of the speaker, the presumption is that there was regularity in the removal,” Ugwummadu said.
According to him, this does not prevent the former speaker from challenging the decision legally.