The impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has said it is not a sin to have a governorship ambition.
He made this remark amid rumours that he is among those nursing the ambition to take over from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2027.
Addressing the rumours during a press conference on Saturday, the lawmaker representing Agege Constituency 1 said he had already clarified to the Assembly that he holds no such ambition.
“Having the ambition to become the governor of a state is not a sin. Is it? However, I said on the floor of the House when the budget was presented that I have no thought for governorship, but that does not mean that I’m not qualified or I lack experience. I still maintain that position,” he said.
He further revealed that he had never approached any leader in the state with an ambition to become governor.
Obasa also addressed his impeachment, stating that the lawmakers who took the action acted unconstitutionally.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers have issued a statement warning him against heating up the polity, just as they stood by their decision to impeach him over alleged gross misconduct and financial misappropriation.
The asked him not to heat up the polity following his impeachment as Speaker.
Obasa, the lawmaker representing Agege Constituency 1, was impeached on January 13 following allegations of gross misconduct and financial misappropriation.
Mojisola Meranda, who served as his deputy, was immediately sworn-in as Speaker by members of the house.
Reacting, Obasa, at a press conference in Lagos on Saturday, labelled his impeachment as unconditional.
His claim has been described as “uncalled for and unparliamentary” by members of the assembly in a statement signed by Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode.
According to the members, they all have the inalienable rights under the necessary statutory orders to remove their principal officers, including the Speaker.
This was as they appealed to Obasa “to toe the line of peace and harmony as being followed by others, as the current intransigent posture will heat up the polity and not augur well.”
They said “any attempt to heat up the polity will be resisted by the majority of distinguished members who unanimously elected Rt Hon Meranda.”
“Peace we want in Lagos and peace we will achieve,” they concluded.
The Guardian
