Obasa was ousted as Speaker on January 13, 2025 by 36 of the 40 lawmakers over allegations of high handedness, financial misappropriation, and despotic tendencies.
He was replaced by Mojisola Miranda, his deputy.
The impeachment, it was gathered, dealt a significant blow to Obasa, a dominant figure in Lagos politics, generating tensions among stakeholders.
Not satisfied with his removal, Obasa filed a suit on February 12, 2025, challenging the legality of his removal. He argued that the removal took place while the Assembly was on recess and he was out of the country.
Justice Yetunde Pinheiro declared Obasa’s removal illegal and unconstitutional, nullifying the proceedings and resolutions of the House held on January 13, 2025.
A pro-Lagos development group, Agenda for New Lagos (ANL), had accused Obasa of planning to use the court to invalidate his impeachment.
ANL’s Protem Chairman, Kamal Olorunnisola, claimed that Assembly members were tricked into accepting Obasa’s subsequent resignation after Meranda’s election, which was just a political gimmick.
The statement read: “As soon as he was ‘re-elected’, out of damage control, he adjourned indefinitely, obviously awaiting judgment in the case instituted to legitimise the alleged illegalities.
“That explains why, contrary to the pledge to withdraw his case, it continued.
“The import is that he had never been removed while Meranda was never a Speaker.
“The further implication is that the removed Clerk will equally return contrary to the resistance of his colleagues, as of right as no valid proceeding would have removed him.”
Tínubu’s Intervention
Before the court ruling last week, Obasa was reinstated following a peace accord initiated by President Bola Tínubu. Tínubu’s mediation efforts involved sending emissaries, including Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, to resolve the crisis.
The panel convinced Meranda to resign her position as Speaker after a deal reportedly agreed upon by all stakeholders.
Crisis Persists
Despite Obasa’s reelection, the crisis persists.
Speculation suggests that the agreement included Meranda’s resignation and Obasa’s resignation after 48 hours to pave the way for a new Speaker from Lagos West.
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However, the APC denied this claim, stating that Obasa’s resignation wasn’t part of the terms of settlement.
The party’s spokesman, Seye Oladejo, said he was not aware of such an arrangement in the terms of settlement during the negotiation period.
“To the best of my knowledge, there was no time the arrangement for Obasa to resign came up in the terms of settlement of the crisis”, Oladejo said. “To me, all this struggle is all about sacrifices. Everyone has to sacrifice at one time or the other in the party.
“For instance, before any candidate would emerge there must have been sacrifice by others”.
Sanwo-Olu’s Fate
Meanwhile, as the whole scenario played out, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, though an interested party in the matter, has maintained sealed lips.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that the governor’s fate hangs in the balance as there’s an ongoing move for him to resign over the crisis in the Assembly.
The permutation is that If Sanwo-Olu resigns, his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, could take over, complete Sanwo-Olu’s term, and potentially pave the way for Seyi Tínubu, the President’s son, to become governor in 2027.
Warning
The Alternate Chairman of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (retd), has, in the meantime, advised Sanwo-Olu to watch his back, stating that Obasa has been crowned the leader of APC in Lagos State.
Olanrewaju believes Sanwo-Olu might be the victim of this scenario, given the Abuja action.
“We saw a leader intervening in a matter arising from the legislative process in a state”, he said.
“At the end of the resolution, an indigene, who won a legitimate election as ‘Madam Speaker’ was forced to step down and be replaced.
“In the meantime, I can tell Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to watch his back because he is more possibly going to be the victim of this whole scenario where, by the Abuja action, Obasa has now been crowned as leader of APC in Lagos holding brief for the leader who is currently occupied with nation’s assignment in Abuja.”