The crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly, took a rather worrisome dimension, on Thursday, as the ousted former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, stormed the House with the alleged presidential aid and security clearance, and declared himself the substantive Speaker exactly 45 days after he was removed as Speaker.
Ahead of the move that caught other lawmakers napping, security personnel attached to Obasa’s successor, Mrs. Mojisola Meranda, had earlier been withdrawn by order from above, a situation that had since created tension in the state.
But the other lawmakers in the state have unanimously rejected the return of Obasa as Speaker of the assembly.
This was as the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Jimoh, said they had reinstated Meranda’s security and that the initial withdrawal was because the command was carrying out an ongoing audit and review of police personnel assigned to individuals, groups, and organisations across the state.
Obasa arrived at the Lagos Assembly at exactly 12:05 p.m., accompanied by two of the lawmakers loyal to him, and went straight into the Speaker’s office while other lawmakers, loyal to Mojisola Meranda, watched the drama unfold.
All entry and exit points leading to the Assembly were closed as the situation continued to develop.
Earlier, all police escorts assigned to Meranda were curiously withdrawn. But the female speaker was at a loss as to who ordered the withdrawal.
The action, however, left Meranda and the entire legislative house exposed, raising concerns about the motive behind it.
The crisis began on January 13 after Obasa was removed over alleged financial impropriety and gross misconduct.
He was immediately replaced by his deputy, Meranda, while Fatai Mojeed assumed the role of Deputy Speaker.
But Obasa, whose security aides ‘were not part of those being audited’ by the police and who aided his ‘criminal invasion’ of the assembly, told reporters with a smile of contentment that he was back to his former office.
“I’ve resumed and I remain the Speaker of the Assembly,” Obasa said, insisting that he was never removed in spite of recent political turbulence.
Obasa also addressed speculation that he was being targeted due to a possible governorship ambition and clarified that while he has not considered or consulted anyone about running for governor, he was fully qualified for the position
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Obasa maintained that he had never been impeached and dismissed claims of his removal as unconstitutional.
“I have always said this: I have never been removed from office. I am not against any removal,” he stated, adding: “If you are going to do that, you must follow the rules of the House. It is constitutional to impeach and remove, but you have to follow the dictates of the Constitution.”
Addressing the controversy surrounding his position, he challenged the legitimacy of the process used to oust him.
“They followed a process to elect me as Speaker. If they want to do otherwise, let them follow the same process. How can you break into an office, break into the State House, and do something overnight? You brought police into the House of Assembly.”
Obasa dismissed speculations that he was being targeted due to alleged financial misconduct. “If the allegations were true, they should have set up a committee or a panel to investigate. And besides, I have been Speaker since 2015 why is this coming up now?
“In politics, to get rid of you, people will come up with different types of allegations. My account was blocked for three years. I was going to the EFCC every day, and at the end of the day, they found nothing. I understand this game.
“There was a meeting in Marina where all the party leaders were present. Meranda herself stated that she had stepped-down and resigned,” he revealed.
Despite the power struggle, Obasa expressed his continued respect for his colleagues.
“I always respect my colleagues. They have been wonderful, supportive, and dedicated. We have been together for years. If something goes wrong, there is a misunderstanding somewhere, but the most important thing is to come together and resolve it. I have nothing against Meranda or anyone else. I am not harassing or victimising anyone,” he added.
On his political future, Obasa dismissed any immediate governorship ambitions but did not rule it out entirely.
“It is not in my consideration, but that does not mean I am not qualified or do not have experience. The governor is my brother, my leader, my everything. I have no reason to disrespect him. If I have taken any step that seems like disrespecting him, it may have been unconscious,” he said.
Clerk Resumes after Suspension
Clerk of the Assembly, Olalekan Onafeko, who was suspended at the height of the removal of Obasa, also resumed his duty post following reinstatement by a court order.
Onafeko was suspended by the House on the same day Obasa was removed by 36 of the 40 lawmakers sitting on the fateful day.
However, Onafeko approached the National Industrial Court (NIC), to challenge his indefinite suspension by the House and the court ordered his reinstatement, pending the determination of suit he filed against the state government and others.
Addressing journalists in his office on Thursday, Onafeko emphasised that he was appointed Clerk in 2022 to serve a four-year term and was eligible for reappointment under the Lagos State House of Assembly Legislative Service Commission Law.
He also expressed his confusion over the suspension, stating that he was not given prior notice and did not commit any offence to warrant such action.
Onafeko said with court’s order reinstating him as clerk of the House, the court has tamed the illegality and the legislative rascality.
“By implication, the court has ordered that I resume my duties as the Clerk of the House pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction already filed in the suit. The said order has been duly served on the concerned parties.
“This is victory for the rule of law and ethos of a civil society. The Court is indeed the last hope of the common man including the oppressed,” he said.
As the crisis in the Lagos assembly lasted, members of the Lagos state House of Assembly unanimously rejected the return of Obasa.
The other lawmakers, who spoke to journalists at the Lagos Assembly Complex, frowned at the decision to return the ex-speaker without prior notice.
They rejected the former Speaker and sought the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders’ intervention, saying there must be clear direction and directive on the issue.
Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency, who spoke on behalf of other lawmakers, said the lawmakers were shocked at the development.
He, however, said members remained calm in the face of the unfolding charade.
“This is Lagos. We are approached by our leaders that we should remain calm and take things easy until they approach,” he said.
Lagos CP Returns Three Out of Meranda’s Nine Aides, Says Withdrawal Part of Audit
The Lagos CP, Moshood Jimoh, has said contrary to allegations that the command had withdrawn Speaker Mojisola Meranda’s aides because they took sides in the ongoing battle of supremacy, they were immediately reinstated and reassigned to her after verifying their deployment.
Jimoh, however, was clever by half as he did not state that he only returned three out of her nine aides, while Obasa was accorded the full complement of his security.
Jimoh, who struggled to distance the command from the break-in at the speaker’s office, said Obasa had applied for police protection due to threats against his life and family.
“His request was approved strictly for security reasons but the Lagos State Police Command is not aware of how or when the office of the Speaker was broken into.
“Our responsibility is to provide security coverage for the House of Assembly, not to be involved in any internal political matters,” he clarified.
He said following the recent tensions at the Assembly complex, the police have reinforced security with additional deployments.
“We have deployed more personnel, including the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter-Terrorism Units, Special Protection Units, Bomb Squads, and conventional police teams. Armoured Personnel Carriers and patrol units have also been stationed to prevent any disturbances,” he disclosed.
Jimoh reaffirmed the neutrality of the Lagos State Police Command and assured residents that security had been restored at the Assembly.
“The Lagos State Police Command remains committed to maintaining law and order. We urge everyone to go about their lawful duties peacefully. Our officers will continue to act in the best interest of public safety and will not be drawn into political conflicts,” he concluded.
Jimoh stated that the audit, which has been ongoing for several days, was a routine procedure aimed at ensuring that all police personnel were properly accounted for, including their firearms and other crime-fighting equipment.
He emphasised that the process was not limited to Lagos State alone, as similar reviews were being conducted across all police commands in the country.
Chiemelie Ezeobi, Segun James, Nume Ekeghe and Chuks Okocha
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