President Bola Tinubu has directed members of the Lagos State House of Assembly to reinstate Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker, despite his recent impeachment.
Obasa was removed on January 13 after lawmakers, acting on reports of financial misconduct, ousted him from office.
However, the president has reportedly urged legislators to allow his return, arguing that the political fallout from his removal outweighs the need to punish his alleged corruption and abuse of office, sources familiar with the matter told Peoples Gazette.
“The president has sent instruction that we should start preparing to let him come back. The president said Obasa will spend only a short time before resigning on his terms,” a senior Lagos politician, who was part of meetings held over the weekend, revealed.
“We have agreed to let him come back to give him a soft landing that he told us he deserved because of the serious political consequences of allowing this matter to endure,” the source added.
However, some lawmakers remain wary of reinstating Obasa, especially those who played key roles in his impeachment and circulated reports exposing his alleged misconduct.
“We’re afraid that bringing him back will be like trying to pacify a snake after its head was severed. Its venom will be super deadly,” a source noted
The president has reportedly scheduled a meeting in Abuja on Monday to rally lawmakers who are still hesitant about the decision.
“Many of us have agreed that he should be allowed to return because we can only see the beginning of this fight but not how it may end,” another political insider disclosed.
Meanwhile, despite his removal, Obasa has refused to vacate the official Speaker’s residence on Joel Ogunnaike Street, Ikeja G.R.A. Upon his return from the United States, he moved into the lodge and has since refused to leave, preventing his replacement, Lasbat Mojisola Meranda, from assuming full control.
“He said they should let him enter the official lodge to remove his personal belongings,” a source said. “But he has refused to vacate the place, and Madam Speaker has been too afraid to take over from her.”
It remains unclear what role First Lady Remi Tinubu played in influencing the president’s decision, but this development comes days after *The Gazette* reported that she intervened to prevent the EFCC from arresting Obasa while allowing investigations into his financial dealings to continue.
Sources say Tinubu’s move to bring back Obasa is causing internal tensions within Lagos political circles. However, given the president’s stronghold over the state’s politics, no lawmaker is willing to openly challenge his directive.
“Look, some lawmakers are very angry that the president decided to humiliate them like this,” a source stated. “But they don’t want to lead any resistance against the president, who is also the party’s leader.”
A presidential spokesperson declined to confirm or deny the directive, while both Obasa and Meranda also refused to comment.
Meanwhile, sources say Obasa met Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in Marina on Saturday to finalize his reinstatement, which could happen as early as next week. An aide to the governor confirmed the meeting but declined to provide further details.
