Two weeks after he was kicked out of his exalted chair as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, after 10 years at the saddle, Hon. Mudashiru Obada has crawled out of his shell and sensationally declared that he was still in charge.
Addressing journalists after meeting a crowd of supporters at the Speaker’s Lodge at Ikeja GRA, Lagos, on Saturday, Obasa insisted he remained the Speaker.
“My status in the house?” he asked rhetorically. “I believe strongly I am still the speaker until the right thing has been done. If you want to remove me, remove me the proper way and I will not contest it.
“I’m a Muslim and I believe in fate. But let’s do it the way it should be done.”
Asked if by that statement he was hinting at a legal duel, Obasa replied: “You will know. It’s a matter of time.”
Continuing, he thanked his supporters for their dedication and steadfastness, and seized the opportunity to debunk the various allegations leveled against him during the impeachment saga.
“Is it possible to construct an ordinary gate with N16 billion?” he asked his interviews. “It is not the wall of Jericho or the wall that demarcated the United States of America and Mexico.
“How can they say we bought one Hillux bus for N1 billion each and that we bought 40 pieces for N40 billion? I am not disturbed or perturbed and I am not afraid. I will debunk all the allegations leveled against me by the House.
“I have not done anything wrong. I have been a lawmaker for over two decades and I am the longest-serving lawmaker in the House.”
He recounted the events of Monday, January 13, 2025, the day his colleagues in the House put paid to his 10-year ‘reign’ as Speaker, saying that the Lagos State Commissioner of Policepersonally led police officers to invade the state assembly on that fateful day. He also revealed that over 200 policemen were deployed to his private residence in Agege, and they blocked the gate, preventing members of his family from going out of the house.
“I am not afraid of being removed,” Obasa continued. “After all, it is not my father’s chieftaincy title. I am representing my people and they have returned me six times. If you want to do anything, do it well. They did the removal all because I was out of the country. Lagos is a special place. We cannot denigrate the state.
“When former Speaker, Rt. Hon Jokotola Pelumi, was removed, he was in the assembly and we did not invite policemen. When my sister, former deputy speaker of the House, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, was removed, we did not invite the police.
“They should not discredit an innocent person. They should prove their allegations against me. The Lagos State House of Assembly is above the common standard of excellence. I believe in the image of our institution. We must not destroy it, and I will never partake in its destruction.
“I appreciate the members of the Governance Advisory Council and Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu of the state, he is my brother, and he always calls me his younger brother.”