Wale Mogaji, a prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) member and former chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Commission, has warned that Mudashiru Obasa, the recently impeached speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, could face suspension if he continues to assert himself as the speaker.
Speaking with journalists in Ikeja on Monday, Mogaji criticized Obasa’s refusal to accept his impeachment, noting that such actions undermine the authority of the Assembly. Obasa had previously declared that he remains the legitimate speaker, arguing that proper procedures were not followed in his removal.
Mogaji refuted this claim, emphasizing the Assembly’s authority in the matter. “He needs to understand that he is not an elected executive. You cannot compare yourself with an elected governor. That is why your removal as speaker does not stop you from being a member of the parliament,” Mogaji explained.
He continued, “They can only remove you from the House if you commit another offence. For you to now have the effrontery to go out and challenge the authority of the parliament and claim that you are still the speaker is another matter. He could be indicted, suspended, and banned for it, and once you are banned, you cannot even attend sittings.”
Mogaji also addressed Obasa’s accusation that the impeachment process lacked due process. He pointed out that Obasa himself had a history of bypassing due process during his tenure.
“My removal as chairman of the Assembly Commission was because Obasa felt I was closer to his predecessor, Ikuforiji. After I was sacked, I approached the National Industrial Court, which ruled that the status quo be maintained, but he refused to obey the court order,” Mogaji said.
He added, “Not just me, there was a time when the principal officers of the House were removed for no just reason because he suspected they had ambitions to become the speaker. Now that it has happened to him, he should also lick his wounds and bear it like that.”
Mogaji urged the newly appointed speaker to learn from Obasa’s mistakes and prioritize adherence to due process and fairness in leadership.
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