Politics
Lagos Assembly saga: Obasa defies President Tinubu over suits against former Speaker, members
The crisis at the Lagos State House of Assembly remains unresolved, despite the reinstatement of the impeached Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. This reinstatement occurred against the wishes of the majority of legislators who had voted to impeach him on January 13, 2025.
It is believed that Obasa’s return was influenced by directives from the Presidency and other prominent leaders and stakeholders. After considerable pressure, the disgruntled lawmakers reluctantly accepted his reinstatement. His former Deputy, Mojisola Meranda, who assumed his role during his impeachment while he was on holiday in the United States, has now resigned to reclaim her position as Deputy Speaker.
However, instead of displaying humility, Obasa seems to be acting with even greater arrogance, refusing to withdraw the lawsuit he filed against the House and the former Speaker. Political observers find this situation concerning and warn that tensions may escalate if Obasa does not change his attitude toward his colleagues. Many lawmakers continue to harbor resentment, citing his condescending behavior and larger-than-life persona as significant issues.
As of now, the House has not held a full plenary session, and there is uncertainty about when the lawmakers—still upset by President Tinubu’s and other leaders’ handling of the crisis—will be willing to resume discussions with Obasa, who continues to resist any attempts to resolve these conflicts.
The situation has worsened due to the second litigation filed against other lawmakers by Obasa, who is now determined to pursue these cases to their logical conclusion.
While the impeachment process was underway, Obasa filed a lawsuit challenging his removal, claiming it was unlawful and that the proper procedures were not followed. He argued that he was not at home to defend himself against allegations of financial recklessness and corruption. This formed the basis for the panel, headed by former party chairman Chief Bisi Akande and former Ogun State governor Chief Olusegun Osoba, along with some top members of the Lagos State Governing Council (GAC), ruling that his impeachment was unjust and that he should have been given a fair hearing.
Initially, it was agreed that Obasa would resign to allow another lawmaker from Lagos West to take over, while Meranda, who represents Lagos Central like Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, would step down for political balance. However, things changed when Obasa reportedly pressured President Tinubu, with the influence of his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. It was at this point that Tinubu decided the majority of lawmakers had no option but to accept Obasa as their leader for the time being, and the notion of providing him a soft landing to spare him from humiliation was abandoned.
Now that Obasa has achieved what he wanted and believes he has secured his position as Speaker, he has taken further action against his colleagues by filing a fresh lawsuit against Meranda specifically, alleging financial impropriety and misappropriation of Assembly funds.
This litigation marks the beginning of a new controversy related to the purchase of N5 billion worth of vehicles for 40 lawmakers in the Lagos State House of Assembly, exacerbating tensions between Obasa and Mojisola Meranda. During Obasa’s absence, Meranda reportedly purchased 39 vehicles for the lawmakers.
The core of the matter lies in Obasa’s displeasure that he had previously approved N7 billion for the same purpose in December 2024, intending to make the purchase upon his return. However, he was removed on January 13, 2025, by 35 of the 40 lawmakers.
Not satisfied with this development, Obasa decided to sue Meranda for purchasing the vehicles using funds withdrawn from the Assembly’s account while he was away. Reports suggest that Obasa had considered sourcing the vehicles from Dubai and had already approved the funds before his removal. However, Meranda proceeded to buy the vehicles locally and opened the bidding process, ultimately outmaneuvering him.
The court case against Meranda has reportedly angered his colleagues, who feel slighted by his actions and are contemplating how to address the situation. In the corruption case filed against Meranda, Obasa sought to have Meranda’s name removed from the list of former Speakers. Obasa, who served as the Speaker before Meranda for just over a month, initiated the suit in an Ikeja High Court.
Among the requests Obasa made was for the court to nullify Meranda’s removal, and he included other members of the Lagos Assembly and Meranda as respondents in the case. During the last hearing, the Lead Counsel for the Assembly, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), revealed that Obasa’s legal team, led by Mr. Afolabi Fasanu (SAN), had submitted additional affidavits containing new fraud allegations against Meranda.
The introduction of these new claims led Meranda’s counsel, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), to request an extension of time to adequately respond. Oyetibo informed the court, “There are serious fraud allegations in the additional affidavits that my learned brother (Femi Falana) referred to. We will be requesting an adjournment to respond to the new application,” he argued.
The legal teams for both the National Assembly and Meranda were puzzled by Obasa’s attempt to unilaterally change the legal representation for the House of Assembly in the case. This move resulted in serious altercations when Mr. Olusola Idowu (SAN) announced his appearance as the incoming counsel for the Assembly. Chief Falana objected, citing a Court of Appeal decision that requires a trial court to hear an application for a change of counsel before considering any other submissions.
Although all applications related to the case had been heard, there was a push for Obasa to withdraw all his legal suits in court. However, the most astonishing aspect of the matter is Obasa’s stubbornness, as he has refused to back down, insisting that he will continue with the cases. Even an intervention from President Tinubu, urging him to drop the matters, did not persuade him.
A source close to the State Assembly noted that, as of the time they spoke with Business Hallmark, Obasa had not withdrawn the case despite President Tinubu’s directive. Reports indicated that over the weekend, Obasa boasted that no one could remove him and questioned why the lawmakers proceeded with his impeachment while he was out of the country, stating that if he had been present, no one would have dared to act against him.
As Obasa continued to assert his dominance over his colleagues, parallels were drawn to past impeachments in the Lagos State Assembly, notably the case of Hon. Waheed Jokotola Pelumi. Serving as Speaker from June 2, 2003, to December 29, 2004, Pelumi was removed and succeeded by Hon. Adeyemi Kuforiji, who held the position until 2005
Reports suggest that the animosity witnessed during the 2025 budget presentation is rooted in the ongoing tensions between Governor Sanwo-Olu and Obasa. This conflict escalated when the House of Assembly rejected 17 nominees proposed by the governor for various commissioner positions and other appointments. Insights reveal that influential figures may have manipulated the situation to undermine Governor Sanwo-Olu, leveraging political and religious imbalances within local governments as justification for the rejections.
Consequently, the rift between Obasa and Sanwo-Olu has deepened, leading to ongoing confrontations. In response to the unfolding drama, former Osun State Speaker and Ambassador to Spain, Adejare Bello, characterized the situation in the Assembly as an internal issue that would eventually reach a resolution. He cautioned Obasa against escalating the matter further and urged him to heed the advice of party leaders to retract the lawsuits, fostering an environment conducive to peace.
Chief Muraina Taiwo, a member of the Governance Advisory Council, echoed this sentiment, asserting that a peaceful resolution was imminent and that Obasa would likely be persuaded to withdraw the cases he initiated in court. Likewise, Chief Tajudeen Olusi, chair of the GAC, emphasized that the matter remained internal and would soon be settled amicably, asserting that the GAC had not favored any side but was focused on finding solutions that satisfied all parties involved.
Meanwhile, insiders argue that Meranda’s decision to purchase vehicles has generated significant savings. By acquiring 32 units of the 2025 Toyota Prado SUV and seven units of the Toyota Land Cruiser for a total of N5 billion, she reportedly saved N2 billion compared to the N7 billion initially budgeted by Obasa. Supporters contend that Meranda acted prudently, securing better deals and higher quality vehicles than what would have been obtained through imports from Dubai, questioning why there should be dissatisfaction over her decisions.
