Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had no involvement in the impeachment of the former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, according to his media aide, Mr. Gboyega Akosile. The clarification came amidst widespread speculation that the governor orchestrated the speaker’s removal due to alleged tensions between the executive and legislative arms of government.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, Akosile dismissed the claims, stating that the impeachment was entirely a legislative decision. “No, no, no. There is absolutely nothing true about that. The Governor does not have a hand in it. It was purely a legislative matter,” he emphasized, adding that Sanwo-Olu is focused on governing Lagos State’s over 20 million residents.
The removal of Obasa occurred during an emergency plenary session on Monday, where 32 of the 40 lawmakers voted to impeach the sixth-term lawmaker. The Assembly cited alleged gross misconduct as the reason for the decision. Subsequently, Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda was elected as the new Speaker, with Fatai Adebola chosen as Deputy Speaker.
Akosile noted that the governor had no prior knowledge or involvement in the proceedings, stating, “What happened in the Hallowed Chamber was purely the prerogative of the legislators. The Governor must have watched it like any other person.” He further underscored that Sanwo-Olu has been preoccupied with pressing state matters and has no time for political intrigues within the Assembly.
In addition to the impeachment, the House also suspended the Clerk of the Assembly, Olalekan Onafeko, and dissolved all principal positions and standing committees.
