Inside Details As Lagos Speaker Obasa Escapes Impeachment Plot

Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa was the subject of a recent impeachment attempt.

But he survived based on strong following in the House.

The move to unseat him is said to have roots in raging fight over whether Governor Akinwunmi Ambode should be allowed a second term.

Sources claim pro ambode forces moved against Obasa seen as a stumbling block against their principal’s total control of the state – and the All Progressives Congress structure that would more than guarantee the governor’s emergence as the party candidate in 2019 election.

Obasa’s refusal to approve “certain recommendations” from the executive, including the budget allocations to MDA’s without “satisfactory” explanation is labeled as one of the crimes against him.

“The governor’s people are claiming he is not working with them, but the speaker’s sympathizers insist Obasa’s posture is very correct in ensuring the independence of the legislative arm” a source disclosed.

Ambode is accused of running a government that only protects “his own interest” and helping him to amass political power while forcing all other “players” to do his bidding.

This perception is said to be creating huge friction between the governor and “politicians” who make up the party structure in the state.

With Obasa’s refusal to “the” recommendations stalling some of his political maneuverings within the government, informants claim estrangement with the “party chiefs” is forcing the governor to set up a parallel party structure as he battles re-election.

“Against this background, Obasa has lots of support from the party chiefs and related stakeholders for not just appending recommendations sent to the house by the governor” a source stated.

Societynow gathered it is this support that has helped Obasa escaped recent moves to unseat him by pro-Ambode forces.

The aggrieved party members are said to be lobbying their representatives in the house – very hard – to ensure Obasa is supported to remain speaker.

The fear is that removing Obasa and installing a more “compliant” speaker would give the governor all the political and economic might he needs to affect a political spread that would not only ensure a second term for him but transform him into the overall decision maker – another Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

“That is why a larger percentage of the lawmakers backed by the party chiefs are backing Obasa and protecting him from impeachment” a source disclosed.

Insiders, however, claim there are indications that the speaker survived recent attempts against him does not mean, it all over for the plotters.

“There are talks the battle has also sprung up in his political base in Agege, with resentments against him being wiped up by the plotters” a source claim.

An insider, however, claims enjoying the backing of state political godfather Asiwaju Tinubu and the official structure of the APC in the state, Obasa is confident the plots to remove him would always fail – but he is said not to be leaving anything to chance.

“He has doubled his interest promoting and protecting politicking in and out of the state house of assembly” a source disclosed.

Reacting to the development the Speakers spokes person Musbau Rasak in a telephone conversation denied any impeachment plot against his principal.

He claims “there is nothing like that, everything is as it should be”.