₦airaland Forum

On 13 January, Mr Obasa was impeached by a two-thirds majority of the House members while he was on holiday in the United States, seemingly ending his decade-long hold on the office.

PREMIUM TIMES has confirmed that the Nigerian government facilitated Mudashiru Obasa’s return to office as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday.

On 13 January, Mr Obasa was impeached by a two-thirds majority of the House members while he was on holiday in the United States, ending his decade-long hold on the office. The members cited alleged high-handedness and financial misappropriation for his removal and promptly elected Mojisola Meranda as their new Speaker.

However, Mr Obasa rejected his removal, saying it did not follow the procedures of the legislative assembly. He immediately headed to court to seek redress.

At its last sitting on 13 February, the members passed a vote of confidence in the new Speaker, who was under pressure from some party leaders to resign and adjourned their sitting indefinitely.

On Thursday, Mr Obasa led a crowd of his supporters to take over the assembly complex, where he announced that he had reclaimed his seat. He later presided over a plenary attended by four other members.

His dramatic return began early in the day when the security authorities withdrew Mrs Meranda’s security details and restored them to Mr Obasa.

A top security official told PREMIUM TIMES that the federal government had authorised the development.

“Obasa was not properly impeached as Speaker, so his removal is illegal,” the source said, describing his comment as reflecting the federal government’s view on the matter. “The government cannot support illegality.”

He said the members levelled criminal allegations against Mr Obasa as the grounds for his impeachment but they did not allow him to defend himself.

Reminded that Mr Obasa had taken his case to court and that there had been no judicial pronouncement on the matter, the official said the government did not have to wait for the court to tell it to act on what it believes was a violation of the law.

“Remember too that the House was not properly convened for the session where it purportedly impeached the Speaker. The House was on Recess, and only the legitimate Speaker could reconvene it,” the source argued.

President Bola Tinubu has been heavily speculated to have been angered by Mr Obasa’s impeachment, as the lawmakers reportedly did not consult party leaders in the state before taking the step.

The influential Governor’s Advisory Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state reportedly intervened and tried to persuade Mr Tinubu to accept the change as the will of most lawmakers, but the president reportedly denied audience to a delegation the group sent to him in Abuja.

A committee of party elders, including former Osun and Ogun governors, Bisi Akande and Olusegun Osoba, reportedly urged Mrs Meranda to step down.

The presidency and the APC are yet to speak on the development.

icetyj37k:
Because they are following due process. This is a democracy, not a military regime.

CC: MasterJayJay, Odin13, Ublaize, YouAreNobody, gidgiddy, Dalohad, anonimi, NGArmyTerrorist

Maxymilliano:
He must have been coaxed to jettison his governorship ambition to earn the FG support

He said the members levelled criminal allegations against Mr Obasa as the grounds for his impeachment but they did not allow him to defend himself.

Reminded that Mr Obasa had taken his case to court and that there had been no judicial pronouncement on the matter, the official said the government did not have to wait for the court to tell it to act on what it believes was a violation of the law.

Xisnin:
Federal government is not a member of Lagos House of Assembly and therefore
cannot reinstate an impeached speaker.

BTW, FG doesn't decide what is legal in context of another arm of government performing
its constitutional duties.

AMINDA:
Except when the State is Kano. So why is federal government involving itself in who becomes the Emir of Kano after the state assembly has rationalised?

AMINDA:
Disgraceful! All that talk about being a "democrat" were all a ruse. They now have power and see them behaving worse than IBB and Sani Abacha combined.

Putindbutt:
Stfu, Elrufai slave, when Obasa was impeached, you said he was removed because he dared Seyi Tinubu, now you're saying another nonsense after he's reinstated. A shameless guy like you comparing someone with Abacha and IBB, Lol. Who's worse than the butcher of Kaduna?, the shirt man devil under who Kaduna witnessed the worst dictatorship in history. The families of activists he Kidnapped and eliminated underground, are still asking Elrufai to release them and let their families have them back.

AMINDA:
You mistake me for one of your fellow areaboys. Who reinstated Obasa?

Meanwhile...

APC supporter: Obasa is very corrupt, so the House of Assembly has impeached him. Guns were even found in Obasa's CSO's office by the DSS.

APC Leaders: Meranda must resign so that Obasa can return.

APC supporter: ''Jagaban has settled it. He's a political strategist''

Animal Farm!

Putindbutt:
An Area boy far better than Area bandits. The house themselves invited DSS and they never denied it.
Why can't you area bandits maintained the same energy of accusing Tinubu of impeaching Obasa in favour of his son?.
The Governing council will settle it however they want, inconsequential online rats should rest.

Penguin2:
Meranda remains our speaker.

Her security has been restored.

Anybody that doesn’t like it can relocate to Iragbiji.

AMINDA:
Lol. Governing Council? You mean ''Jagaban has settled it. He's a political strategist''

Y'all brains are fried. There's nothing to salvage.

saintkel:
if they are following due process as u say, y not let d court decide d case before it

AMINDA:
Disgraceful! All that talk about being a "democrat" were all a ruse. They now have power and see them behaving worse than IBB and Sani Abacha combined.

Great100000:
Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/777353-why-federal-government-reinstated-impeached-lagos-speaker.html