It is no longer news that the former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, was ousted by his colleagues on Monday, January 13, 2025 while he was holidaying in the U.S., thus bringing his 10-year cruise on the Lagos gravy train to an abrupt stop.
Obasa was first elected in 2007 to represent Agege Constituency 1 and subsequently emerged Speaker in June 2015, chalked in an unprecedented third term, becoming powerful, or so he thought. And because, as the 19th century writer Lord Acton remarked, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” he got carried away and became conceited.
He started seeing himself as a political kingmaker, treating his colleagues condescendingly and had no respect for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. But apparently he didn’t reckon with the Igbo proverb which says that “when an idol becomes too powerful and arrogant, it is told the wood it was carved from.” That was exactly what happened. His colleagues said that much when they accused him of becoming an existential threat.
Tobun Abiodun, who represents Epe Constituency 1, alleged shortly after Obasa’s ouster that he was impeached to save Lagos State and the House of Assembly. Accusing the former Speaker of gross misconduct and unconscionable abuse of office, Abiodun said Obasa’s impeachment had become inevitable. “The members of the parliament today have decided to change the leadership of the House.
You know the constitution made it clear that the House has the power to regulate its proceedings. The members felt they have had enough of the leadership of Rt. Honourable Mudashiru Obasa… We have resolved to work together and ensure that we move the parliament to the next level. We cannot open our eyes and allow the parliament to dwindle. We owe the constituents a duty of ensuring that the sanity and integrity of the House are restored. We have unanimously agreed to carry out this action to save our image, and save the state.”
One of his crimes was his undisguised lack of respect for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Matters came to a head during the 2025 budget presentation on November 22, 2024 when he declared that he was neither too young nor lacked the requisite experience to run for the governorship “I have made it a personal task to mobilise people on the platform of Mandate, which has been misconstrued by some political detractors as being a selfish aspiration on the ground for me to become governor of the state,” he crowed impetuously.
“There is the need, however, to correct this wrong impression. My concern is about building our party, and whatever we do is mainly for this cause. To the blackmailers who have embarked on the mission to distort and redefine our mission, let me state it unequivocally here, our intention is to promote our party on the platform of Mandate. Becoming governor is secondary; it is something that I have not given serious consideration. Nevertheless, that does not mean I am too young or lack experience to run; whereas, those who have been before me are not better off.”
Of course, one of those that was there before him is President Bola Tinubu. Obasa’s needless outburst was political indiscretion stretched too far, a sacrilege reminiscent of the Nza bird, one of the smallest birds in Igbo folklore, that bumped into a sumptuous meal and after having his fill challenged his “Chi” (personal god) to a wrestling match. Little wonder that the same lawmakers who unanimously passed a vote of confidence in him, turned around barely two months later to sack him ignominiously
Obasa must have realised by now that he actually did not belong to the ‘owners of Lagos club.’ When they met to decide his fate, he was not even summoned to defend himself. He was not emotionally intelligent. Now, he has become a political leper that no one wants to openly associate with. The visits to his house have drastically reduced. As the 2027 political signalling in Lagos State becomes clearer, things will get worse for him politically. It will even be more so as his capacity for political patronage shrinks.
Today, Agege, his constituency is calm and the people have moved on. His few hangers-on who wanted to demonstrate at the Lagos State House of Assembly were quickly rounded up by policemen and taken away in a Black Maria even as they were singing, “on your mandate we shall stand.” That is the nature of politics. As Ndigbo would say, onye bu igu ka ewu na eso – a goat follows whoever has palm frond. Loyalties have shifted and there are no apologies.
But Obasa’s ouster shouldn’t be an end in itself. The lawmakers are within their rights to choose who leads them. They have exercised that right by replacing Obasa with Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, who has also made history as the first female Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. But it is not just enough to impeach him. In moving the impeachment motion under ‘Matters of Urgent Public Importance,’ which was adopted by 32 out of 40 members of the House, Hon. Femi Saheed made allegations of financial misconduct, abuse of office and authoritarian leadership against Obasa. Most recently, there have been reports alleging that he approved the withdrawal of ¦ 43 billion for lawmakers’ vehicles. Most of these allegations were made by the lawmakers themselves, so it should be assumed that they are not frivolous.
It behoves, therefore, the State Assembly to submit a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the fraud allegations against Obasa and the anti-fraud agency to do the needful. Not only that, Obasa claimed to have received a bachelor’s degree in Law from Lagos State University in 2006. But recently, a document which surfaced on the social media reveals that his name is not in the record of legal practitioners in Nigeria. The document, a response by the Supreme Court to a verification request by an anonymous petitioner on his status as a lawyer, was dated July 24, 2020 and signed by one Gertrude Karenton-Mordi on behalf of the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court.
Titled, “Re: Verification of Mu
dashiru Ajayi Obasa as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” the apex court, according to the document, advised the impeached Speaker to come forward with relevant documents for enrolment, as his name was not found in their records. Addressing the petitioner, the apex court wrote: “We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 23rd July, 2020 on the above captured subject matter. This is to inform you that we have checked our records and cannot find the name: MUDASHIRU AJAYI OBASA on the numerous Rolls of Legal Practitioners kept in this Honourable Court.
MUDASHIRU AJAYI OBASA is at liberty to come to this Honourable Court with his Call to bar and qualifying certificates for enrolment. If he has done a change of name, he is expected to show proof of same.” Supreme Court spokesperson, Dr Fetus Akande, has confirmed the document, acknowledging that, “It emanated from our office.” Obasa’s apologists insist it is a non-issue because law degree, or in fact any university degree for that matter, is not a prerequisite for becoming a lawmaker or even Speaker.
That is true. The immediate past governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, became Speaker of the House of Representatives without any. That is how low the bar is when it comes to leadership in Nigeria. But it is a crime to ascend political office with forged certificates. I know that Obasa can challenge his accusers to cast the first stone if they can. And the truth is that they cannot. But that should not be the norm. Ours should not be a country where certificate forgers call the shots in public office without any consequences.
