Speakership: Obasa’s controversial return causes confusion in Lagos Assembly

The power tussle between the majority members of the Lagos House of Assembly and the recently removed Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, intensified on Thursday.

Like a ousted king coming to reclaim his throne, Mr Obasa dramatically returned to the assembly with an entourage of armed security personnel.

He seized control of the Speaker’s office and held what could be described as a plenary session with four lawmakers loyal to him. Other lawmakers present at the 40-member assembly boycotted the session.

The ousted Speaker proclaimed that his removal was null and void, and asserted that he remains the legitimate Speaker of the House.

“I have resumed and I still remain the Speaker of the Assembly,” Mr Obasa told reporters at the Assembly complex. “I was never removed. Impeachment or removal is democratic and constitutional, but in doing that, you must follow the due process.”

Mr Obasa’s return, on Thursday, was his first to the Assembly complex since his unceremonious removal as Speaker on 13 January while he was outside the country.

The majority of the assembly members had voted to remove him over allegations of gross misconduct, poor leadership, mismanagement of funds, high-handedness and disregard for his colleagues.

Upon his removal, Mojisola Meranda, who was Mr Obasa’s deputy, was elected and sworn in as Speaker.

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Meranda’s Speakership uncertain

Ms Meranda’s installation as Speaker has been fraught with intense opposition from her predecessor and his backers.

Mr Obasa has been in the Lagos Assembly since President Bola Tinubu was governor of the state. A close ally of the president, he is also close to major power brokers in the state APC.

While the president has yet to publicly declare his stance on the crisis, Ms Meranda has been under pressure from APC leaders in the state to resign from her new position and allow Mr Obasa’s return.

She has also had to contend with fake news of her resignation.

However, she continues to enjoy the support of the majority of the lawmakers who voted her as Speaker.

Speaking at the assembly complex on Thursday, the lawmakers expressly rejected moves to reinstate Mr Obasa as Speaker and reaffirmed their support for Ms Meranda as Speaker.

Meanwhile, Ms Meranda’s security details, which were withdrawn under controversial circumstances on Thursday, were eventually restored.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Moshood Jimoh, said that the initial withdrawal of the security details was due to an ongoing audit of police personnel and firearms, Channels Television reported.

“As I speak with you, the audit of the police personnel attached to Hon. Mojisola Meranda has been completed, and the police personnel attached to her from the Lagos State Police Command have been returned to her for her protection.

“It is pertinent to state that the ongoing police personnel audit has been on for several days now, and prominent personalities and individuals have been complying with the process. The exercise, once again, is not aimed or targeted at any individuals,” the commissioner said.

Obasa denies suit

Mr Obasa declared his removal as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly illegal, claiming that it occurred while he was abroad and the House was in recess.

His legal team, led by Afolabi Fashanu , subsequently contested the legality of his removal, through a suit filed against the assembly and the new Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.

However, on Thursday, Mr Obasa denied the existence of the suit.

A complex web of political intrigue

A top security official told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Obasa was provided with security officials as speaker because his removal was illegal.

“Obasa was not properly impeached as Speaker, so his removal is illegal,” the source said asking not to be named as he has no permission to talk to journalists.

Although Mr Obasa’s struggles appear to be with his colleagues, insiders in the state say his major problem is with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Although many state governors in Nigeria have a firm control of their House of Assembly including the speaker, it has never been so since Mr Sanwo-Olu assumed the Lagos governorship seat. Although both men are members of the ruling party, APC, their relationship has been like that of a cat and mouse with many party members accusing Mr Obasa of disrespecting the governor.

READ ALSO: Lagos Speakership: Police restore Meranda’s security details

Apart from splitting the Assembly, the feud has also split the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the unconstitutional body recognised as the topmost group in the Lagos APC.

While some GAC members like former senator Ganiyu Solomon are believed to support Mr Obasa, others like former senator Musiliu Obanikoro allegedly side with the governor.

Mr Sanwo-Olu has, however, refrained from publicly speaking about the Assembly’s crisis.

On Thursday, the majority members of the assembly suggested that majority of the GAC members were behind Mr Obasa’s controversial return.

“We are not against the (party) leadership’s decision, but they should tell us to our face, instead of hearing rumours,” the Chairman of the House of Assembly’s Committee on Information, Security, and Strategy, Steven Ogundipe, told journalists.