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The lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Desmond Elliot, has explained his role in the January 2025 impeachment process against Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and why he signed the impeachment notice.
While speaking with Channels Television on Tuesday, the lawmaker responded to the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, who claimed that he nearly lost his job after sources linked Elliot to Obasa’s impeachment attempt.
The lawmaker said he was in South Africa at the time and believed the impeachment attempt had the President’s support.
“I would like to state categorically that I wasn’t in the country. My wife and I travelled on January 13, 2025. We were on recess and it was an opportunity for us to travel to attend my wife’s younger sister’s wedding,” he said.
“That was the time Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa was impeached. It came to me as a shock because I was in South Africa then. So, obviously, it took me about two days to come back. I was also as confused as everybody was.”
Elliot said that he noticed many lawmakers had already appended their signatures upon his return, and he followed suit.
“And pretty much, we thought it was from the presidency. In all fairness, we thought it was from the presidency. And, of course, I appended my own signature. I believe I was maybe the 30-something person at that point in time because others who had travelled had returned and others had already signed,” he added.
Elliot said Lagos lawmakers later received clarification from Tinubu that the impeachment was unauthorised.
“But eventually, Mr President called us and made us understand that it was not from him and asked us to return the Speaker. And we did.”
On January 13, 2025, a majority of the Lagos State House of Assembly impeached Obasa while he was reportedly on vacation in the United States.
The lawmakers accused him of gross misconduct, abuse of office, high-handedness, poor leadership, persistent lateness to sessions, and alleged financial mismanagement.
His deputy, Mojisola Meranda, was elected as the new Speaker. The Speaker rejected the impeachment, describing it as unconstitutional and insisting that due process was not followed.
The development escalated into a crisis but was eventually resolved following interventions by leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), leading to Obasa’s reinstatement.
