A former speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has faulted his removal by lawmakers.
Obasa, who spoke for the first time on Saturday, said it was important for lawmakers to follow the constitutional procedure to remove him from office.
He also denied the allegations of corruption levelled against him by the lawmakers.
Obasa was removed by majority of House members on January 13 following allegations of misconduct and financial misappropriation.
He was subsequently replaced by a former deputy speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
The embattled lawmaker, who was in the United States of America when he was removed, spoke to a huge crowd of supporters at the Speaker’s Lodge, 47, GRA Ikeja, Lagos.
He said, “I thank you for your support and dedication. I will take this advantage to debunk the allegations that were circulated and raised about me.
“Is it possible to construct an ordinary gate with N16bn? It is not the wall of Jericho or the wall that demarcated the United States of America and Mexico.
“How can they say we bought one Hilux bus for N1bn each and that we bought 40 pieces for N40bn?
“I am not disturbed or perturbed and I am not afraid. I will debunk all the allegations levelled against me by the House.
“I have not done anything wrong. I have been a lawmaker for over two decades and I am the longest-serving lawmaker in the House.”
“I believe in removal. There is no impeachment in the Assembly. Probably, there is a mistake from them; you can only remove the speaker. And before you remove, you must ensure you follow the rules of the constitution. I’m not afraid to be removed, what else am I looking for?”
He accused the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Isola Olawale, of leading policemen to invade the Assembly on the day of the removal.
Obasa further alleged that over 200 policemen invaded his residence in the Agege area of the state, blocking the gate, which prevented members of his family from going out of the house.
“My children did not sleep in this house on that day because they were locked out, and my wife kept inside — house arrest,” he added.
“I am not afraid of being removed; after all, it is not my father’s chieftaincy title. I am representing my people and they have returned me six times. If you want to do anything, do it well. Not because you realise that I’ve been out of the country and you now brought policemen to invade the Assembly, my house in GRA and my house in Agege; it doesn’t make sense. Lagos is a special place; we cannot denigrate Lagos,” he said.
Obasa noted that when a former speaker, Jokotola Pelumi, was removed, the latter was in the House and the process was done without police involvement.
“If you want to claim that I’m corrupt, please prove it, let us see it. If you don’t want me to be the speaker, it’s not a difficult thing. The Lagos State House of Assembly is above the common standard of excellence because of the way we do our things. Can we claim the same now? I believe in the image of our institution, we must not destroy it and I will never partake in destroying it,” the lawmaker said.
Obasa explained that he had nothing against members of the Governance Advisory Council and the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
While fielding questions from journalists shortly after he addressed his supporters, Obasa insisted that he remained the speaker.
He said, “My status in the house? I strongly believe I am still the speaker until the right thing has been done. If you want to remove me, remove me the proper way and I will not contest it. I’m a Muslim and I believe in fate. But let’s do it the way it should be done.”
When asked if a legal battle is in the offing, Obasa responded, “You will know . It’s a matter of time. Thank you and God bless you.”
