How Impeached Lagos Speaker Obasa Hid Two Maces To Block Impeachment While Abroad
SaharaReporters reported on Friday night that Obasa was set to return to Lagos today (Saturday).
Impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to have his impeachment nullified, SaharaReporters has learnt.
SaharaReporters reported on Friday night that Obasa was set to return to Lagos today (Saturday).
Meanwhile, his loyalists are planning a lavish welcome party for him, sources told SaharaReporters.
Obasa was impeached earlier this month for gross misconduct and abuse of office, prompting his swift departure to the US, a source close to the Lagos House of Assembly told SaharaReporters.
It was learnt that the former speaker who fell out of favour of favour with President Tinubu returned to Abuja last weekend after assurances of no arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or any other law enforcement agencies.
It was earlier reported that the former Speaker was facing scrutiny from the EFCC over allegations of misappropriating ₦43.5 billion in state funds.
Sources told SaharaReporters that during a meeting with Tinubu, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and some other All Progressives Congress stakeholders following Obasa’s impeachment, he argued that his impeachment ought to be nullified because he had hidden the two maces in possession of the state House of Assembly.
However, He was informed that the mace used during the session in which he was impeached was brought from the old Assembly building.
One of the sources said, “President Tinubu had summoned all the stakeholders; Lagos lawmakers, Lagos Governor’s Advisory Council, Obasa himself and Lagos Governor to Abuja for consultations and understanding.
“The President was unhappy the removal of Obasa was orchestrated without his express approval, and that he learnt about it from the news and social media. Except this lack of approval, he told Obasa that “he was not born a Speaker, and that speakership was not created with him”.
“Obasa pushed for the nullification of his impeachment on the grounds that the mace used to conduct business of the day on that fateful day wasn’t the official mace of the Lagos House of Assembly, considering he hid away the two maces while travelling out of the country.
“The lawmakers defeated his argument by confirming the mace used as the old mace of the parliament in the old building of the assembly. Seeing the futility of his claims, Obasa requested the President to prevail on the new leadership to grant him access to his belongings at the Speaker’s lodge and guest house. This was granted by the President,” the source added.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Obasa is expected to visit the lodge and guest house today (Saturday), after returning to Lagos.
“But his visit will be under strict supervision to ensure no public property is looted by the former Speaker
To safe face, the Chairman of Agege local government, Ganiyu Egunjobi has embarked on mobilisation of Obasa’s supporters to receive him on arrival in Lagos and also attend a meeting convened by the former Speaker in GRA, Ikeja later today,” one of the sources said.
SaharaReporters reported on Friday that upon his return, Obasa would move to his house at Joel Ogunnaike in GRA, Ikeja at 9.00 am where his loyalists would organise a large welcome party for him.
staff listed on this approval, who couldn’t embark on the trip or got a share of the money.
SaharaReporters had also exposed how Obasa fraudulently approved millions of naira for himself through the award of contracts to companies owned by him.
Other reports also revealed how he approved N17m monthly to maintain his personal residence and guest house.
