Lagos lawmakers insist Obasa’s removal is legal

Lagos State’s lawmakers are standing firm that they properly fired their leader, Mudashiru Obasa, who served as the Assembly’s speaker.

On January 13, while Obasa was out of the country, the lawmakers voted to remove him from his position, claiming he misused his power and acted inappropriately in office. They then chose his deputy, Mojisola Meranda, to be the new speaker.

Obasa has been displeased with this decision. He says they kicked him out illegally and claims he’s “still the speaker until the right thing has been done.”

To defend their decision, the lawmakers point to rules in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (sections 92 and 96) that explain how a speaker can be removed.

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On Thursday, lawmakers visited Nigeria’s security agency (DSS) office in Shangisha, Lagos, because two of their colleagues – Lanre Afinni and Sylvester Ogunkelu – had been brought in for questioning about assembly matters.

In their official statement, the lawmakers insisted they were just doing their job: “The Lagos State House of Assembly, as an independent arm of government, exercised its constitutional duty in the best interest of the people of Lagos.” They added, “Any attempt to challenge this lawful action undermines the authority granted to us by the Nigerian Constitution.”

The good news is that the detained lawmakers have been released. The assembly members praised the DSS for handling the situation professionally, and they’re asking everyone – including government officials and the public – to let them do their job without interference.