Godwin Shaibu
While everyone in Lagos settled into the warm embrace of the harmattan season after the gritty Detty December bing, the precincts of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday morphed into a new theatre for political maneuvers as it bore a new year present for the occupant of its coveted seat.
The Speaker of House, Mudashiru Obasa (Agege I) was, in a deft move, impeached by 32 members of the Assembly for ‘gross misconduct and abuse of office.’ He was subsequently replaced by his Deputy, Mojisola Meranda Ojora (Apapa I), as Speaker of the House.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelObasa has been in the eye of the storm for years over plots to remove him from office, acquiring the sobriquet as the ‘cat with nine lives,’ as he weathered the storm to retain his position as the Assembly’s helmsman amid ploys and counter-ploys to pull the rug from his feet.
This time, it was said that what nailed Obasa was his authorisation of “the withdrawal of ₦43.5 billion for lawmakers’ backup vehicles and other controversial expenditures.”
While this may be the reason for the said impeachment on the surface level, the deep political implications of this development would not be lost on many who have paid a close attention to Lagos’ political landscape and the undercurrents that may have put Obasa’s head on the chopping board.
Considering the latest developments, Obasa may have been sacked as Speaker for one or a combination of the reasons below.
Obasa’ ambition to become Lagos Governor
At the heart of Obasa’s impeachment is his rumoured – some say inordinate – ambition to become the Governor of Lagos State. In Lagos, this is an open secret and a number of clandestine and open meetings have been held to plan or coordinate how this vision can be achieved. Obasa was very frontal about his ambition during the passage of the 2025 budget in November last year, when he declared that he was qualified to be the governor of Lagos State.
Pundits say Obasa may be biting more than he can chew as he has benefited immensely from the politics in Lagos haven served for close to two decades as Speaker. However, Obasa sees it differently, noting that he is not “too young nor lacks experience to run; whereas, those who have been before me are not better off.”
Tinubu’s Abuja distraction
As the revered Godfather of Lagos politics, President Tinubu’s physical absence may have also fueled the eventual impeachment of Obasa. Before now, failed attempts have been alleged to have been thwarted by Tinubu’s intervention.
As the helm that holds all things politics and business in Lagos together, Tinubu’s preoccupation as Nigeria’s president may have caused him to take his eyes off some of the inner political intrigues in Lagos, thereby allowing those on ground – and those who have an axe to grind – to seek more practical means to have their way, which may have resulted in Obasa being axed out.
Seyi Tinubu’s ambition
While it has not been officially confirmed, there are rumours that the son of former Governor of Lagos State and Nigeria’s President, Seyi Tinubu, is being prepped to become the Governor of Lagos State after the tenure of the current governor, Babajide Sanwo Olu. This makes Obasa’s continued reign as the number three citizen in Lagos a threat to that dream.
Nigeria’s Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, some days ago, noted that the younger Tinubu is not too young to be governor of Lagos State.
Some groups had also made a case for Seyi Tinubu to pick up the gauntlet and pursue the ambition of becoming Lagos’ governor, while others insist that if he was interested in ruling a state, he should consider Osun, where his father originally hails from.
Is Lagos Assembly ripe for fresh start
In another light, all things taken together, one could also argue that the Lagos State House of Assembly may indeed be ready for a fresh start given that it has been under the leadership of Obasa for close to two decades.
As Speaker, Obasa has served under three governors in Lagos, from Babatunde Fashola, to Akinwunmi Ambode to Babajide Sanwo-Olu. All through this period, he had withstood adversities and attempts by some of these governors to oust him from office. He survived all of these and appeared to have the Assembly under his tight lease.
Sanwo-Olu tightening grip on Lagos politics
What must also not be discountenanced is the influence of Sanwo-Olu in Obasa’s dilemma. Thought to be generally calm and unassuming, Sanwo-Olu has pulled off a trick that others thought to be more politically sagacious than him could not.
With the successful ouster of Obasa, Sanwo-Olu is shaping up as being more ruthless in dealing with his political opponents – or maybe it is just him getting the help of more like-minded allies to do a hard job.
