One Month After Removal, Former Lagos Speaker Obasa Absent From Assembly Sittings
One month after his controversial removal as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa has yet to attend any sittings in the House, further fueling the political crisis surrounding his ouster.
Obasa was removed on January 13, 2025, by a majority vote of the 40-member Assembly over allegations of financial misappropriation and abuse of office. However, he has consistently rejected his removal, labeling it unconstitutional and refusing to acknowledge Mojisola Meranda as the new Speaker.
Obasa Insists He Remains Speaker
Upon his return from the United States on January 25, 2025, Obasa vehemently denied the corruption allegations, challenging his colleagues to substantiate their claims.
“My status in the House? I believe strongly I am still the Speaker until the right thing has been done,” he stated while addressing journalists at the Speaker’s Lodge in Ikeja.
He argued that due process was not followed in his removal. “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.”
Assembly Moves On Without Obasa
Since his removal, Meranda has presided over at least five plenary sittings, indicating that the House has moved on from Obasa’s leadership. She has also made significant changes, including appointing new principal officers and committees.
Despite his return, Obasa has not attended any sittings, and his absence remains a subject of intense political speculation. The House is scheduled for its sixth plenary session today, February 13, 2025, but his continued nonappearance raises questions about his next move.
Legal Ramifications: Could Obasa Lose His Seat?
Legal experts have weighed in on the implications of Obasa’s absence. According to Chapter 5, Part II, Section 109 (1)(f) of the Nigerian Constitution (1999), a lawmaker can lose their seat if they are absent from sittings for more than one-third of the total number of sessions in a year without just cause.
For now, Obasa remains within the legal attendance limit, but if his absence continues, his legislative seat could be at risk.
Obasa’s Camp Claims Assembly Is Still on Recess
Obasa’s allies insist that the House has not officially resumed, questioning the legitimacy of the sittings held since his removal.
A source close to the former Speaker told Punch that the Assembly remains on recess, a claim also echoed by Oluwagbenga Abiola, Vice Chairman of Agege Local Government.
“The House is still on recess,” the source insisted, emphasizing that proper legislative procedures were not followed in reconvening the House.
Speaking on TVC, Abiola argued, “For you to come back from recess, you must get a letter from the clerk of the House to the Speaker, and the Speaker must accept the reason for resumption.”
He maintained that the Assembly was officially scheduled to resume on February 18, 2025, implying that any sittings before that date were unauthorized.
