The Lagos State Home of Meeting has tightened safety on the Meeting Advanced as lawmakers maintain plenary on Monday (right now), The PUNCH experiences.
There are speculations that there could be a showdown on the Home as the previous Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, on Saturday claimed he remained the Speaker of the Home.
Obasa was eliminated by the vast majority of Home members on January 13, 2025, following allegations of misconduct and monetary misappropriation. He was subsequently changed by the Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
Right now’s plenary would be the third session presided over by Meranda since Obasa’s removing, with the previous speaker absent on the final two sittings.
Talking on Saturday, Obasa who had been exterior Lagos for the reason that saga on the Home, mentioned he nonetheless remained the speaker, and requested the lawmakers to comply with the “proper manner” to take away him from workplace.
The previous speaker additionally denied the allegations of corruption introduced in opposition to him by the lawmakers throughout his removing, describing the alleged monetary misappropriations as “unimaginable.”
Responding to questions from newsmen shortly after he addressed his supporters, Obasa insisted that he remained the Speaker.
“My standing in the home? I imagine strongly I’m nonetheless the speaker till the fitting factor has been accomplished. If you wish to take away me, take away me the right manner and I cannot contest it.
“I’m a Muslim and I imagine in destiny. However let’s do it the best way it must be accomplished.”
When requested if a authorized battle was within the offing, Obasa responded, “You’ll know. It’s a matter of time.”
Obasa additionally spoke to an enormous crowd of supporters on the Speaker’s Lodge, 47, GRA Ikeja Lagos.
He mentioned, “I thanks to your assist and dedication. I’ll take this benefit to debunk the allegations that had been circulated and raised about me
“Is it attainable to assemble an strange gate with N16 billion? It isn’t the wall of Jericho or the wall that demarcated the USA of America and Mexico.
“How can they are saying we purchased one Hilux bus for N1 billion every and that we purchased 40 items for N40 billion? I’m not disturbed or perturbed and I’m not afraid. I’ll debunk all of the allegations levelled in opposition to me by the Home.
“I’ve not accomplished something unsuitable. I’ve been a lawmaker for over 20 years and I’m the longest-serving lawmaker within the Home.”
In a discover issued from the appearing Clerk’s workplace on Sunday, workers members and legislative aides had been suggested to return to the advanced with a way of identification.
The discover mentioned anybody and not using a legitimate ID can be denied entry into the meeting premises.
“Concerning administration directives, all workers members and legislative aides should current legitimate id playing cards to entry the Home premises. Please keep in mind that entry might be denied to anybody and not using a legitimate id card,” the brief discover learn.
Police pledge peace
The Lagos State Police Command has additionally mentioned it is going to preserve order within the state regardless of what transpires on the meeting on Monday.
The state Commissioner of Police, Ishola Olawale, in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday, mentioned as a lot because the police had no enterprise contained in the meeting, it was his obligation to take care of the calmness exterior the meeting and all over the place within the state.
In accordance with him, there received’t be any breakdown of legislation and order within the state. “That won’t occur. I don’t see any breakdown of legislation within the state and if there’s, it’s contained in the meeting and I’m not allowed to enter the meeting. However exterior the meeting, there received’t be any breakdown of legislation and order in Lagos State, in no matter location as a result of that’s my job as a policeman.”
He added, “Folks will genuinely transfer about with their companies, however anyone congregating wherever to foment bother might be decisively dispersed, and in the event that they don’t (cooperate), they are going to be arrested in the event that they conduct themselves in an unruly method. Everybody has the fitting to meeting however there’s additionally what we name legislation and order.”
The police additionally denied invading the residence of the previous Speaker.
Obasa had on Saturday accused the Lagos CP of main policemen to invade the Meeting and his residence on the day of his removing.
He alleged that over 200 policemen invaded his residences within the Agege space of the state and on the GRA, blocking the gate and stopping members of his household from going out of the home.
“My youngsters didn’t sleep on this home on that day as a result of they had been locked out, and my spouse stored inside — home arrest,” Obasa mentioned whereas addressing a crowd of supporters on the Speaker’s Lodge, 47, GRA Ikeja, Lagos.
However the CP acknowledged that Obasa’s declare might be simply investigated from the residents with out even listening to from him.
“The person lives inside an property, so which means earlier than you get to his home, you have to have breached the gate of that property. There are gatemen within the property, why don’t you discover out? 200 policemen? What number of policemen do I’ve? Have you ever requested that query?” the CP queried.
Ishola additionally mentioned the police had no enterprise on the meeting as they weren’t authorised to be within the hallowed chambers.
“No matter occurs there (within the meeting) has nothing to do with the police. They’ve methods they examine themselves in and I don’t imagine anyone who has no enterprise contained in the meeting is allowed in. They’ve their sergeants at hand who coordinate the conduct of the meeting.
“The legislation doesn’t allow me to oversee and even intervene in what occurs contained in the meeting. It has nothing to do with me as a policeman,” the CP added.
In accordance with him, Lagos is calm and “it’s my job to maintain it calm and that’s what I’m going to do, that’s what I’m doing.”
GAC assembly
Obasa and the Governor’s Advisory Council are reportedly scheduled to satisfy with President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday.
A supply aware of the event additionally informed considered one of our correspondents on Sunday that the assembly was a part of efforts to proffer an answer to the political variations between Obasa and different lawmakers within the Meeting.
“Efforts are underway to reconcile Obasa together with his colleagues. Aside from his assembly with the president when he arrived within the nation final week, he’s scheduled alongside the Governor’s Advisory Council to have one other assembly with the president on Wednesday to debate the impeachment. Politically, each Obasa and the GAC are answerable to the president, so it’s his place that they are going to each abide by on the finish of the day.
“Nonetheless, the lawmaker is unlikely to renew a session on the Meeting advanced on Monday,” the supply mentioned.
In accordance with the supply, this was as a result of tense state of affairs occasioned by his removing.
“For now, Obasa has no plan to renew the session on the Meeting advanced on Monday. Since there’s an ongoing effort to reconcile them, that’s prone to occur earlier than he attends the session. As you recognize, the state of affairs stays tense, and his attendance on the Meeting may escalate right into a critical subject.”
The supply who dismissed claims that the speaker may discover authorized choices added, “There aren’t any plans to problem the impeachment in court docket. The main target as a substitute is on discovering a political answer to the matter.”
In the meantime, President Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, couldn’t verify that GAC and Obasa can be assembly with the President this week.
He additionally famous that Obasa was not on the Presidential Villa final week to see Tinubu, opposite to experiences.
In accordance with him, some ministers, who had been additionally billed to satisfy Tinubu final week, couldn’t see him as a result of President’s tight schedule.
‘Obasa’s removing justified’
A former deputy Majority Chief of the meeting, Olumuyiwa Jimoh, mentioned Obasa’s destiny was a lesson to many, noting that “absolute energy corrupts.”
Whereas talking on Come up TV on Sunday, Jimoh mentioned a few of the allegations of misconduct introduced in opposition to Obasa by lawmakers weren’t new, and the present lawmakers had solely come to grasp them.
The PUNCH experiences that on the final plenary presided over by Meranda, a handful of previous lawmakers had been current within the chamber, a transfer mentioned by some sources on the meeting to be a assist for the Home’s choice and for the brand new speaker.
Jimoh mentioned, “The individuals in the home of meeting, each the workers members and the honorable members together with those that have enterprise on the meeting had been full of pleasure when he was eliminated. They had been just like the captivity of Zion relieved from their cage.”
Justifying Obasa’s removing, the previous lawmaker, who represented Apapa Constituency II, mentioned, “You could be the speaker within the morning and with out even offending your colleagues, they resolve that they need to strive one other particular person, supplied they’ve two-thirds. You generally is a speaker within the morning, go in together with your convoy and within the night, come again driving your self residence.
“He doesn’t realise that, he’s equating himself with the governor of the state. It’s the governor that requires notification for impeachment and it has a course of. However as a speaker, your destiny is being decided by your colleagues. These are your colleagues that you simply don’t have respect for – relating with them in an employee-employer relationship.
He could also be averse to his removing however what he did by saying he’s nonetheless the speaker is just not solely unethical however equally unthinkable for any individual that has been eliminated by the home.”