More than 24 hours after his ouster, former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has remained silent, and none of his loyalists have publicly defended him.
Obasa was impeached as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday, with lawmakers immediately appointing Vice Speaker Mojisola Meranda as his successor. Reports indicate that Obasa is currently out of the country and vacationing in the United States.
Obasa’s removal took place in his absence, with 90% of lawmakers supporting the motion. Discussions with some of his loyalists in his Agege constituency revealed a reluctance to publicly defend him due to their personal political ambitions.
Efforts to get responses from prominent members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Agege also yielded no results as party leaders refused to comment. According to some party loyalists, fear of political repercussions influenced their decision to remain silent.
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“This is a difficult time for us” said an anonymous APC member. “His resignation came as a rude shock, but we cannot openly oppose it because of the involvement of influential figures, especially within the presidency. Many of us have political ambitions and are unwilling to jeopardize them by defending him.”
A visit to Agege on Tuesday revealed the presence of two political camps in the constituency: those loyal to Obasa and others opposed to his long tenure in the Assembly.
“There is division within the party here,” one party leader noted. “Those celebrating his removal are from the opponent’s camp, while his loyalists on Monday condemned the arrest of his supporters outside the Assembly.”
Following his ouster, a group of youths who gathered at the Assembly complex in Alausa were detained by police and transported in a Black Maria.
Despite Obasa’s removal, normalcy has returned to Agege. His campaign office on Oyewole Road was found abandoned and locked on Tuesday.
Some areas considered his strongholds, including Capitol Road, Tabontabon and Oniwaya, experienced initial tensions but were later stabilized with increased security presence.
Residents acknowledged Obasa’s contributions to the community, especially in road construction projects, but expressed indifference over his ouster.
“We appreciate his efforts in road construction and connecting neighborhoods” said Taofik Ilesanmi, a resident. “But his removal will not affect our lives. As you can see, everything is back to normal.”
Another resident, Kunle Salau, added: “Only those who benefited directly from him seem concerned. For the rest of us, life goes on.”
