By Keem Abdul

In insisting that he remains the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly – in spite of his impeachment in January 13, 2025 by an overwhelming majority of the House members, over alleged misconduct and sundry offenses – Right Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa seems to have stirred the proverbial hornet’s nest, whose fallout looks set to reverberate across the political landscape of Lagos State – even as key stakeholders gear up for what promises to be a keenly contested Governorship race in 2027.

Well before he was impeached as Speaker – while away on a trip to the United States – Hon. Obasa ruffled some political feathers when he refused to emphatically quell speculations that he was preparing a bid for the Governorship seat in 2027, saying instead that though it was not topmost on his scale of priorities, harbouring such an ambition was ‘not a sin’, and that he was ‘eminently qualified’ to replace the incumbent, Babajide Sanwo-Olu as Governor in two years’ time. Moreover, he had added pointedly, “those who have been before me are not better off.”

Soon after his impeachment (after which his colleagues in the legislative chambers voted as the new Speaker, the Rt. Hon. (Mrs.) Mojisola Lasbat Meranda) Obasa was slapped with allegations of corruption and financial misappropriation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), allegations which he has strenuously denied, describing them as ‘fictitious and unsubstantiated’, and part of the political vendetta that led to his removal as the state’s No. 3 citizen.

Obasa’s troubles seem to have begun in earnest shortly after Governor Sanwo-Olu’s 2025 budget presentation speech before the State House of Assembly – during which the former Speaker gave what his detractors described as rather caustic remarks ostensibly directed at those who, he said, sought to whittle away the independence of the legislative arm of government and diminish its constitutional role. Some have interpreted it as an attack on the Governor (otherwise, why choose that occasion to make it? they ask) and others as preparing the ground for his governorship run – in a race in which names like former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, current Deputy-Governor Dr. Kadiri Hamzat, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, and even the son of the Nigerian President, Seyi Tinubu, have been bandied about as possible candidates of the ruling All Progressives’ Congress (APC) since the middle of last year. Due to the perceived hostility between the ex-Speaker and the Governor, some observers have seen the hand of Sanwo-Olu in Obasa’s removal – and a potential conundrum for the Governor should Obasa return to the Speaker’s seat. How will Mr. Governor reconcile his past actions – if indeed he is complicit in the impeachment saga? Will Obasa seek revenge, or will the two leaders find a way to work together? The dynamics of their relationship will undoubtedly be fascinating to observe, going forward.

Obasa’s return as Speaker is not a foregone conclusion, however. Just as he is seeking legal redress for what he sees as a high-handed action by his fellow lawmakers an action which, he said, was “irregular and contrary to due process,” there has been a groundswell of both support and opposition to his reinstatement by various interest groups across the state.

On his return from the US, he was rapturously received by his supporters at his residence in Ikeja, as different loyalists and interest groups expressed their solidarity. Also, recall that just a few weeks before his removal, the Archbishop of the Methodist Church of Nigeria (Lagos), Most Rev. Isaac Olawuyi, who was speaking at the State Assembly’s 22nd Annual Thanksgiving Service (which was attended by Obasa), advocated for a Muslim Governor in 2027 – and singled out the then-Speaker for his leadership and collaboration with the other arms of the government, saying his stewardship at the helm of the Assembly has kept the state strong.

But others have taken issue with Obasa’s leadership style and perceived excesses, with one group declaring that his removal as Speaker was ‘long overdue.’ The change of guards at the Lagos Assembly, this group says, was “born out of deep frustration and necessity” on the part of the lawmakers. Against the backdrop of Obasa’s reported attempts to solicit the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his comeback attempt, some key members of a group known as the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) of the APC says moves to reinstate the impeached speaker would be rejected, despite the group’s unflinching loyalty to the President, even as others assert that his removal was illegal and an act of disrespect to the leadership of the APC in Lagos.
For now, then, the political scene remains in a state of suspended animation as far as the Obasa issue is concerned. In spite of the APC’s assertion that there was ‘no crisis’ in the party, some groups have condemned Obasa’s claim that he remains Speaker, describing it as a ‘careless statement’ and an ‘invitation to anarchy’. They warn that Obasa’s comments could incite unrest in the state, saying his statement could undermine democracy because they suggest an intent to destabilize the state. Also, a member of the Assembly says over two-thirds of the Assembly remain united behind the new Speaker, Rt. Hon Meranda, and that the position being canvassed by Obasa was uncalled for and unparliamentary.
Obasa is expected to attend plenary for the first time since his impeachment, raising the stakes for a potential showdown – against the backdrop of what his supporters say is President Tinubu’s disapproval of his removal and insistence on his reinstatement, vis-a-viz the view of his detractors – and certain legal minds who have commented on the issue – that his fate (as far as the Speaker’s seat is concerned) is sealed under extant constitutional provisions.

Where does that leave Obasa’s perceived governorship ambition – and indeed the 2027 governorship race in Lagos State in general? Some observers say that this is perhaps the best time to take a second look at a candidate who has so far operated under the radar as far as the political rumbles roiling the state are concerned, in spite of his undoubted pedigree and record of service: Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat. Not only is the Deputy-Governor eminently qualified for the top job, having served loyally and effectively under Sanwo-Olu for what would be two terms of eight years come 2027, he is, like Obasa and the aforementioned Mr. Tinubu (the President’s son) also a Muslim – at a time when political sentiments seem to favour a Muslim Governor in 2027. His calm demeanour and lack of inordinate ambition, his admirers say, are exactly the refreshing qualities that Lagos State needs in its next leader.

A week, they say, is an eternity in politics – let alone two years. Time will tell how the Obasa saga will play out, what impact (if any) its fallouts will have on the 2027 race, and on the chances of the rumoured candidates, including Dr. Hamzat and even Obasa himself.