By Dansu Peter A crack appears to be emerging within the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) as one of its leaders, Senator Anthony Adefuye, ...
By Dansu Peter
Adefuye reportedly expressed support for the embattled Obasa, who has insisted that his removal was unconstitutional. In a telephone interview with The Punch newspaper, Adefuye backed Obasa’s claims.
“What he’s saying is that he was illegally removed and the procedure was faulty, and I agree with him,” Adefuye said in the report published by Sunday Punch.
Obasa, who returned to Nigeria on Friday from Atlanta, United States, addressed the matter publicly for the first time on Saturday. Speaking to a crowd of supporters at the Speaker’s Lodge, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, he stressed the importance of adhering to constitutional procedures for the removal of a speaker.
He also denied allegations of corruption leveled against him by lawmakers. “I thank you for your support and dedication. I will take this opportunity to debunk the allegations raised against me,” he said.
Obasa was removed from office on January 13, 2025, following allegations of misconduct and financial misappropriation. He was replaced by the former Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
The embattled lawmaker criticized the process of his removal, calling it unconstitutional. “I have not done anything wrong. I have been a lawmaker for over two decades and am the longest-serving lawmaker in the House,” Obasa said.
He questioned the corruption allegations, describing them as absurd. “Is it possible to construct an ordinary gate with N16 billion? It’s not the Wall of Jericho or the wall between the United States and Mexico.
“How can they claim we bought one Hilux bus for N1 billion each and that 40 of them cost N40 billion? These allegations are baseless,” he added.
Obasa also accused the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, of orchestrating a police invasion of the Assembly and his residences. He claimed over 200 policemen blocked his house in Agege, placing his family under de facto house arrest.
“My children couldn’t sleep in the house that night because they were locked out, and my wife was kept inside under house arrest,” he said.
Obasa compared his removal to that of a former speaker, Jokotola Pelumi, noting that Pelumi’s removal followed due process without police interference.
“If you want to remove me, do it properly. Lagos is a special place; we cannot afford to destroy its image,” he stated.
Addressing his supporters, Obasa maintained that he remains the Speaker until proper procedures are followed. “I believe I am still the Speaker until the right thing is done. If you want to remove me, do it the proper way, and I will not contest it,” he said.
When asked if he planned to take legal action, Obasa responded, “You will know in due time. It’s a matter of time. Thank you and God bless you.”
Despite the ongoing crisis, Obasa emphasized that he holds no grievances against the Governance Advisory Council or the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
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