TheNewsGuru

Tag: Obasa

  • We reject Obasa as Speaker in totality – Lagos lawmakers

    We reject Obasa as Speaker in totality – Lagos lawmakers

    Thirty-six members of the Lagos State House of Assembly who are in support for the current speaker, Mojisola Meranda have rejected Mudashiru Obasa as the Speaker of the parliament.

    The lawmakers convened at the Assembly garden, maintaining their stance based on their February 17 vote of confidence in Meranda, despite Obasa’s return.

    Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, Stephen Ogundipe, condemned the ongoing situation and called for calm.

    He said: “This is Lagos, the State House of Assembly. We’re shocked to see what’s happening here today.

    “We expect our leaders, who earlier told us to remain calm, to come and address us and tell us where we went wrong or what really went wrong.

    “We won’t take laws into our hands, but we belong to different constituencies and we have our mandates.

    “Whatever is going to happen, the leadership should speak with us and not this charade we’re witnessing.

    “We are humiliated by this action. I was stopped at the gate from entering the assembly chamber. This is an embarrassment, and it must stop.

    “We are not against the leadership’s decisions, but they should call us and tell us instead of hearing rumours. They’re our leaders, we’ll still stand and obey their decisions.

    “We reject Obasa in totality,” he declared.

    The lawmakers also chorused, “We reject Obasa in totality.”

  • JUST IN: ‘I’ve resumed, I remain Speaker’ – Obasa takes over Lagos Assembly complex

    JUST IN: ‘I’ve resumed, I remain Speaker’ – Obasa takes over Lagos Assembly complex

    The ousted Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa on Thursday stated that he has resumed duty as the parliament’s leader.

    Recall that Obasa made a dramatic return after arriving at the Assembly Complex with security operatives today.

    “I’ve resumed, and I remain the Speaker of the Assembly,” Obasa told reporters on the premises of the House.

    Asked whether he has been reinstated as speaker, Obasa said, “I’ve never been removed. Impeachment or removal is democratic and constitutional but in doing that, you must follow the due process. I am not against that. If I do that, then I am not democratic.”

    Details to follow…

  • Lagos Speaker: Obasa absent as Meranda moves into office

    Lagos Speaker: Obasa absent as Meranda moves into office

    Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday witnessed a significant shift in leadership, as the new Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, officially moved into the speaker’s office amidst members’ support.

    NAN reports that Meranda was accompanied by members of the assembly to the complex in a show of solidarity and support.

    This development followed the impeachment of the former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, on Jan. 13, even though he had, on Saturday, described his removal as unconstitutional and laid claim to the office.

    However, in spite of his insistence on being the speaker, Obasa was conspicuously absent from the assembly on Monday, amidst tight security to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

    Meranda’s assumption of office witnessed a warm reception from her colleagues who had since accepted her leadership and rallied round her.

    Members were seen following the speaker to her office, signaling a collective endorsement of the new leadership.

    The absence of Obasa, who had promised to resume duties on Monday, has raised questions about his next step.

    NAN also reports that the atmosphere at the assembly complex on Monday reflected the lawmakers’ readiness to help pull through Meranda’s resolve to maintain stability and uphold legislative duties after the change of leadership.

    Members were seen taking pictures with the speaker, while the acting Clerk equally joined in the celebrations.

  • Obanikoro faults Adefuye’s comment on impeachment of Obasa

    Obanikoro faults Adefuye’s comment on impeachment of Obasa

    A former  Nigeria ambassador to Ghana, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, has  faulted a statement  made by an APC chieftain ,Sen.Anthony Adefuye,expressing support for the impeached speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa .

    Obasa (APC-Agege 1) was  on Jan.13 removed  by lawmakers over alleged misconduct ,and was replaced by the then deputy speaker, Mrs Mojisola Meranda.

    Obasa, who spoke for the first time on his impeachment on Saturday, said his removal did not follow due process.

    Addressing his loyalists in Ikeja ,Obasa said he remained the  speaker of the House and would soon resume his legislative duties.

    He also denied the allegations of corruption levelled against him by the lawmakers.

    Adefuye, a member of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Anthony Adefuye,has  expressed support for the embattled former speaker.

    In a recent interview,Adefuye said that he  agreed with Obasa that he was illegally removed.

    “What he is saying is that he was illegally removed and the procedure was faulty and I agree with him.”he said.

    Reacting to Adefuye’s interview,Obanikoro a two time minister, said the APC chieftain  was careless to have made the statement .

    “The statement of Sen. Adefuye on the removal of the former speaker Mudashiru Obasa, is very unfortunate, childish and inconsequential.

    “Senator Adefuye’s comment shouldn’t have come up, as leaders, if there are  serious issues of this magnitude, rushing to make press statement or personal statement on such issues is unbecoming of a statement

    “Since GAC as a unit as not made any prounouncement on the subject matter, it is irresponsible of any member of that privileged body to go public and make comments on an issue that is as sensitive as that,” the senator told NAN on Sunday.

    Obanikoro, also a member of GAC ,said it was important to  respect hierarchy in any organisation.

    ”Moreso our leader, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria waded in on the matter, so i believe nobody should come out individually to express an opinion based on privileged status”,he said.

    NAN

  • I remain Lagos Assembly Speaker until… – Obasa

    I remain Lagos Assembly Speaker until… – Obasa

    The immediate past  Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly,Mr Mudashiru Obasa, says his impeachment did not follow due process and that the election of Mrs Mojisola Meranda as new speaker did not follow the law.

    Addressing a large gathering of APC members from the Mandate Group at his official residence in Ikeja on Saturday,Obasa (APC-Agege 1) said he remained the speaker until  the House impeaches him through due process.

    He  alleged that a  fake mace was used to install Meranda as speaker and that hundreds of policemen invaded the House on the day of his removal in order to  intimidate his loyalists .

    Obasa also alleged  that some policemen invaded his official residence on the same day and prevented members of his family and every other person in the house from coming out.

    Obasa described all the alleged actions as illegalities,vowing to challenge his removal in court.

    He  also vowed to go back to the House and resume as speaker.

    ” The speakership is not Obasa’s title, it is like a general when you go to war, you may come out or you may not come back. So, I am not disturbed, perturbed or worried about the purported removal.

    “However, things must be done properly.The Lagos State Commissioner of Police led police officers to invade the State Assembly on the day of the removal, while over 200 policemen also invaded my private residence in Agege.

    “They also blocked the gate to my official residence, while they prevented members of my family from going out of the house.

    “I am not afraid of being removed, I have been  a member of the House for almost 22 years and  speaker for almost 10 years and I think i have contributed my quota.

    “But why did they have to break  the chamber and  use a fake mace to carry out  the removal?

    “If they say they don’t want me again, it is fine , but let them follow due procedure.

    “My status in the House is that I believe strongly that I remain the speaker of the Assembly until the right procedure to remove  me is followed.”, he said.

    He debunked the allegation that spent N16 billion to  construct a gate at the Assembly complex ,describing the allegation as  ridiculous.

    According to him ,it is  not possible to construct any  gate with N16 billion.

    Obasa also debunked the allegation that he bought  40 Hilux vans  for N40 billion as speaker .

    The former speaker said he had not done anything wrong to warrant his removal ,adding he had lived up to expectations serving as lawmaker for over two decades.

    Obasa said he believed so much in the House Assembly and would never partake in its destruction.

    He appreciated members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) and Gov. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for the love for the party and the state.

    Obasa also thanked the First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu for her support  , and President Bola  Tinubu, who he said would always be his father.

    NAN reports that 32 out of the 40 members on Jan. 13 removed Obasa at a plenary over allegation of gross misconduct and financial impropriety.

    The House immediately replaced him with Meranda .

  • Impeached Lagos Speaker Obasa finally opens up, says his removal did not follow due process

    Impeached Lagos Speaker Obasa finally opens up, says his removal did not follow due process

    Ex-Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has described the allegations against him as “fictitious and unsubstantiated.”

    Obasa made this declaru during at a welcome rally at his Joel Ogunnaike GRA residence in Ikeja on Saturday.

    The former Speaker said his removal was done without following the proper procedures.

    He alleged that the Commissioner of Police in the state led security agents to invade the assembly ahead of his removal.

    Furthermore, Obasa claimed that his Agege and Ikeja residences were invaded by over 200 policemen, who locked his family indoors. He said, “If I am not speaker, that’s not the end of the world.

    If you want to claim that I am corrupt, please prove it. “It’s possible to construct a gate, ordinary gate with N16bn? When it’s not Jericho wall.”

    The former Speaker’s removal was carried out by more than two-thirds of the 40-member legislative house, who voted him out over alleged misconduct and sundry offences.

    Obasa’s deputy, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, was subsequently elected as the new Speaker, becoming the first female to take charge of the legislative body in the Southwest state.

    Obasa, who represents Agege Constituency I, has been a member of the House since 2007. He emerged as Speaker in June 2015 and held the position until his removal in January 2025.

  • JUST IN: ‘I am not disturbed, I am not afraid’ – Impeached Lagos Speaker, Obasa

    JUST IN: ‘I am not disturbed, I am not afraid’ – Impeached Lagos Speaker, Obasa

    The impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa reacted to his removal by lawmakers.

    Speaking during a welcome rally at his residence in Joel Ogunnaike GRA, Ikeja on Saturday, Obasa maintained that he was not afraid of being impeached but emphasised that due process must be followed.

    The former speaker also debunked the allegations of corruption brought against him by the lawmakers during his removal, describing the alleged financial misappropriations as “impossible.”

    “I am not disturbed, I am not afraid,” Obasa said of the “Developments that happened at the assembly.”

    Obasa spoke to a huge crowd of supporters at the Speaker’s Lodge, 47, GRA Ikeja Lagos.

    Details to follow…

  • Sanwo-Olu reacts to alleged involvement in Obasa’s impeachment

    Sanwo-Olu reacts to alleged involvement in Obasa’s impeachment

    Mr Gboyega Akosile, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, says the governor has no hand in the impeachment of the immediate past Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa.

    Akosile debunked rumours making the round that Sanwo-Olu was responsible for the removal of Obasa, over a perceived rift between him and the legislative arm.

    Akosile made the clarification in an interview with NAN on Tuesday in Lagos.

    “No, no, no. There is absolutely nothing true about that. I mean, no, the Governor does not have a hand in it. It was  purely a legislative matter.

    “The Governor is busy with serious matters, busy with  taking care of the over 20 million Lagos population.

    “What happened in the Hallowed Chamber of the House of Assembly was  purely the prerogative of the legislators.

    “I mean, we saw on the media, just like you, that the legislators removed the Speaker. We watched like every other person. The Governor must have watched it like any other person.

    “I don’t think there is anything more to it other than that. So, absolutely, there is no hand of the governor in the impeachment of the Speaker,” Akosile told NAN

    Obasa(APC-Agege1 ), a sixth-term lawmaker, serving his third term as Speaker, was on Monday removed by lawmakers

    32  out of the 40 lawmakers, at an emergency plenary, impeached Obasa via voice votes over alleged gross misconduct.

    The Assembly subsequently elected and swore in Deputy Speaker, Mrs Mojisola Meranda (APC-Apapa I) to replace Obasa while Mr Fatai Adebola (APC- Ibeji-Lekki I) was elected as the Deputy Speaker.

    The House also suspended the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Olalekan Onafeko, indefinitely during the plenary and dissolved all principal positions and standing committees

  • I will miss my father – Lagos Speaker, Obasa

    I will miss my father – Lagos Speaker, Obasa

    The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa says he  will  miss his late father, Pa Suleiman Obasa ,not only  because of his great attributes ,but also the great moments they shared together.

    The Speaker’s  father died on May 21 at 83.

    Speaking at his father’s  8th-Day Fidau and Final Burial Ceremony in Lagos on Tuesday, Obasa said his deceased instilled  hard work, contentment, forthrightness and perseverance in him.

    Obasa recalled how his father constantly guided him and his siblings throughout his lifetime,saying  that his father lived his life well and  that he was in charge of his home.

    “As we are offering prayers for my darling father, Pa Suleiman Atanda Obasa ,who passed away on May 21., I will remember his love, devotion and generosity.

    “I will always cherish the time we had together and the values of hard work, forthrightness and perseverance he instilled in me. May Allah continue to rest his soul”,he said.

    The Speaker said the things his father taught him helped him to live a straight life ,growing up .

    He said his father frequently warned him against intake of illicit substances and always told all his children not to do anything that could  tarnish the family name.

    The Speaker described his father as irreplaceable,saying he would be sorely missed.

    Obasa thanked the state government  state, residents for identifying  with the family at this difficult period.

    Speaking,   Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu extolled the deceased’d virtues ,saying he  believed that the Lagos Speaker drew his strength and love for humanity from his father.

    “The gathering here shows that the Speaker has built bridges across the Niger and all around the country.

    “I greet all those that have come to identify with the Obasa family and I thank you very much, our party faithful.

    “Mudashiru Obasa is one of our bests and I thank all that have come to honour him. We are thanking God for being with him and sustaining his family to give their father a befitting burial.”he said.

    Also speaking, Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, said the Speaker’s late father “lived a life of giving”

    “Three or four years after this event, nobody will know what happened here. What people will remember is the legacy that Baba left behind.”he said.

    Abiodun tasked public office holders to follow the path of honour and service to humanity at all times.

    Gov. Sheriff  Oborevwori of Delta  described the demise of the Speaker’s father as shocking .

    He said despite belonging to a different party, he remained close to the Lagos Speaker and family.

    The Delta governor described Obasa as a strong and loyal politician.

    The Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria and Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr Debo Ogundoyin ,also  commended Obasa for setting the standard upon which the association now thrives.

    “All the Speakers in the country commiserate with you. God will be with you and your family, support you, comfort you and show you directions. We at the conference of Speakers will always be there and make sure that your legacies continue,” he said.

    A grandchild of the deceased, Mr Abdul-Ganiyu Obasa, announced at the programme that Pa Obasa’s  grandchildren would embark on water projects across the state in honour of their grandfather.

    In his sermon, the Chief Imam of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Imam Abdul Rahman  Ahmad said Pa Obasa lived a forthright life ,adding he touched lives.

    He urged Muslims to emulate the exemplary life of the deceased.

    NAN reports among the dignitaries that attended the programme were former governors of Lagos, the Iya Olaja of Nigeria, Mrs Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, the wife of Lagos governor, Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, and council chairmen in Lagos.

    Others were representatives of Oba of Lagos, representatives of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), A former minister, Prince Adeseye Ogunlewe, and Sanwo-Olu’s Chief of Staff, Mr Tayo Ayinde.

    The Speakers of Osun, Oyo, and Delta , some members of the National Assembly as well as  members of the Lagos State House of Assembly were also present(

  • We’ll pass N2.246trn Lagos budget before Jan. 1 – Obasa

    We’ll pass N2.246trn Lagos budget before Jan. 1 – Obasa

    The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa has pledged speedy passage of the 2024 budget of Renewed Hope of N2.246 trillion before Jan. 1.

    Obasa made this pledge in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS) Mr Eromosele Ebhomele in Lagos on Saturday.

    The speaker made this known during an official visit by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the ongoing three-day budget retreat for Lagos lawmakers and legislative workers in Abuja.

    The retreat is titled: ”Sustainability of Ongoing Reforms in Lagos State: Prospects, Opportunities and Challenges”.

    Recall that Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday,  presented the Lagos state  2024 Budget of Renewed Hope of N2.246 trillion to the state House of assembly.

    The budget comprised a  total revenue of N1.848 trillion and deficit financing of N398.28 billion.

    Obasa said the essence of the retreat for the lawmakers was to ensure that the budget was passed before Jan. 1, 2024.

    “We are working on the 2024 budget and that is why we are here. I want to assure you that we will do our best to return the approved budget to you as soon as possible.

    “It is going to be a New Year present to you and the people of Lagos,” the speaker said.

    Describing the governor as a  leader, brother and performer, Obasa noted that Sanwo-Olu had always supported the assembly in carrying out its legislative functions.

    Obasa thanked the governor for harmonious relationship between the executive and the legislative in the state.

    “We also thank you for not being like other governors who seal up the assembly complex or who remove roofs of assembly buildings.

    “That is why Lagos is great and the Lagos assembly is above the common standards of excellence,” he said.

    Addressing the lawmakers, Sanwo-Olu described them as the best among their counterparts in other state assemblies.

    The governor further praised the lawmakers for lifting the bar of legislative excellence in the country.

    According to him, this is the best and finest and it is worthy of emulation. I want to thank you and say this is, indeed, how we should always organise ourselves, keep up raising the bar.

    Sanwo-Olu thanked the speaker, members, the assembly commission and staff of the house for always putting Lagos first before other considerations.

    “You see, what Lagos state is doing shows that we are leading the way for other states to copy. We show the way in legislative, executive and judiciary affairs.

    “This is an avenue for you to bond, interact, appreciate one another and effectively do the job that the people of Lagos have asked us to do.

    “There is the talk around town that we have a big budget but I also tell them it is because we are big people in the state.

    “I appreciate the fact that you have huge responsibility and I pray to God Almighty to give you the ability and courage to do the work dispassionately.

    “Whatever the outcome is, you can rest assured that the governor will stand by it and work with you,” he said.

    Sanwo-Olu said there was no animosity between the speaker and himself, saying that they were two different sides of the same coin.

    The governor added that they were brothers and friends and God would lead them to a level where they could take Lagos to an irreversible state.

    Sanwo-Olu said President Bola Tinubu was watching them because he had no other state that he could call his own.

    According to him, though, he is the President of Nigeria but he has his roots in Lagos. Our success is his success and Nigeria’s success.

    He said if they got it right, the whole nation would be on their way to getting it right.

    NAN