Power Play in Alausa: Inside the Rise, Fall, and Federal Resurrection of Mudashiru Obasa
By Wisdom Ugochukwu Lambert
Political News Desk, gossiphome.ng
The Lagos State House of Assembly has long been regarded as one of the most stable, albeit tightly controlled, legislative chambers in Nigeria. However, the events of early 2025 shattered this veneer of predictability, plunging Alausa into a high-stakes political drama. The impeachment and subsequent "federal resurrection" of Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa—the longest-serving Speaker in the state’s history—reads like a political thriller. It is a saga defined by clandestine plots, clashing ambitions, proxy wars, and a dramatic federal intervention that ultimately redefined the boundaries of state-level legislative independence.
This review unpacks the intricacies of the Obasa impeachment saga, examining the underlying catalysts, the key actors, and the lasting implications of this unprecedented crisis in Lagos politics.
1. The Genesis: Ambition, Friction, and the Alausa Cold War
To understand the suddenness of the January 13, 2025, "civilian coup," one must look at the simmering tensions that had been building between the legislative leadership and other power centers in Lagos State.
The Sanwo-Olu Friction
For years, observers noted a growing coldness between Speaker Obasa and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. This friction became highly visible during the screening of commissioner nominees in 2023, when the Assembly rejected 17 out of 39 names submitted by the Governor. While Obasa defended the move as an exercise of legislative oversight, political insiders viewed it as a direct challenge to the executive branch.
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This tension escalated during the late 2024 and early 2025 budget presentations. Obasa was accused by state APC stakeholders of showing open disrespect to the Governor, including his conspicuous absence from key state events, such as the state's annual thanksgiving service on January 5, 2025.
The 2027 Gubernatorial Shadow
At the heart of the fallout was the whisper of 2027. Obasa, who has represented Agege Constituency 1 since 2007 and served as Speaker since 2015, was rumored to be nursing a gubernatorial ambition to succeed Sanwo-Olu. Though Obasa publicly downplayed these claims—insisting his mobilization efforts under the "Mandate" banner were misconstrued—the Lagos political establishment, particularly the influential Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), reportedly viewed his growing independence and political maneuvering with deep suspicion.
2. The Strike: The January 13 "Civilian Coup"
On Monday, January 13, 2025, the plotters struck with clinical precision. Taking advantage of Obasa’s physical absence—the Speaker was on holiday in Atlanta, Georgia—the House convened an emergency plenary.
The Impeachment Motion
Under a Matter of Urgent Public Importance, Hon. Saheed moved a motion for Obasa’s removal, citing Section 92(2)(c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The allegations leveled against the Speaker were damning:
Gross Misconduct & Authoritarianism: Accusations of running the House with an iron fist, high-handedness, and showing utter disregard for fellow lawmakers.
Financial Misappropriation: Fresh allegations emerged alongside historical anti-graft petitions, including a controversial withdrawal of
$\approx \text{N}43.5\text{ billion}$ for lawmakers' backup vehicles and allegations of inflated contracts.Habitual Tardiness: Lawmakers complained of perpetual lateness to legislative sessions, which they argued degraded the dignity of the House.
In a swift voice vote, 32 out of the 40 lawmakers (representing
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A Historic Replacement
In the wake of the impeachment, the Assembly dissolved all standing committees and principal offices. They promptly elected the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, as the new Speaker, making her the first female in history to lead the Lagos State House of Assembly. To the public, it appeared to be a decisive, clean break from the Obasa era.
3. The Counter-Offensive: Security, Courts, and the Abuja Factor
If the plotters believed Obasa would quietly retreat into political oblivion, they severely miscalculated. Rejecting his removal as an "illegal assembly" executed while the House was officially on recess, Obasa launched a fierce counter-offensive.
The saga took a dramatic physical turn when Obasa returned to Nigeria and stormed the Assembly complex accompanied by armed police and civil defence personnel, demanding access to his office. This created an extraordinary standoff, with two figures claiming the mace: the newly elected Mojisola Meranda and the deposed Mudashiru Obasa.
The Hand of the Presidency
In Lagos politics, all roads eventually lead to Abuja. President Bola Tinubu, the undisputed godfather of Lagos politics, was reportedly blindsided and displeased by the impeachment. The lawmakers had failed to consult the presidency or senior party leaders before executing their plan.
While the GAC attempted to persuade the President to accept the legislative change as "the will of the majority," the federal apparatus began moving in Obasa’s favor. On February 27, 2025—after a tense 49-day standoff—the federal government officially intervened. In a highly controversial move, security authorities withdrew Mojisola Meranda's security detail and fully restored them to Obasa. Backed by federal support, Obasa marched back into the Assembly complex, took the Speaker's chair, and presided over a plenary attended by his loyalists, effectively rendering the impeachment null and void.
4. The Collateral Damage: The Gbajabiamila-Desmond Elliot Fallout
The ripples of the Alausa crisis extended far beyond the state capital, reaching the very corridors of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
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In a startling revelation during an APC stakeholders' meeting, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, confessed that the Obasa impeachment saga nearly cost him his job. Gbajabiamila revealed that President Tinubu had summoned him, alleging that Desmond Elliot—the popular actor-turned-politician representing Surulere Constituency 1—was one of the chief architects behind the plot to oust Obasa.
Because Gbajabiamila hails from the same constituency and was seen as Elliot's political patron, suspicion fell on the Chief of Staff. Despite Gbajabiamila advising Elliot to publicly distance himself from the impeachment movement to clear their names, Elliot reportedly declined. The incident highlighted the intense paranoia and proxy warfare that the impeachment triggered within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
5. Critical Analysis: The Implications for Nigerian Democracy
The resolution of the Obasa impeachment saga raises profound questions about constitutional democracy, legislative independence, and the rule of law in Nigeria.
1. Legislative Sovereignty vs. Executive Overreach
Section 92(2)(c) of the Nigerian Constitution gives state legislators the unambiguous right to choose and remove their leadership by a two-thirds majority. By intervening to reinstate Obasa before a definitive judicial ruling was delivered, the federal executive branch set a precarious precedent. It signaled that local legislative decisions, even those backed by an overwhelming
2. The Fragility of Local Democratic Institutions
The ease with which security details were swapped and legislative chambers seized by armed police highlights the fragility of Nigeria's democratic institutions. It demonstrates that political expediency and party loyalty frequently override formal constitutional procedures.
3. The Future of Lagos 2027
Though Obasa has been reinstated, the structural fractures in the Lagos APC remain visible. The fact that 32 lawmakers were willing to risk their political careers to oust him indicates deep-seated dissatisfaction with his leadership. While the presidency forced a truce, the underlying struggle for the 2027 gubernatorial ticket is far from over; it has merely gone underground.
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Conclusion
The Obasa impeachment saga of 2025 was not merely a local legislative squabble; it was a microscopic view of the complex dynamics of Nigerian power politics. It pitted the constitutional rights of state lawmakers against the pragmatic, centralized control of the ruling party’s national leadership.
While Mudashiru Obasa sits once again in the Speaker's chair, his "resurrection" is a fragile one, sustained not by the genuine consensus of his peers in Alausa, but by the formidable backing of Abuja. For Mojisola Meranda, her brief, historic 49-day tenure as the first female Speaker stands as a testament to a rebellion that almost succeeded. As Lagos marches toward 2027, the embers of this crisis will undoubtedly continue to warm the political underground of the State of Aquatic Splendor.
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