Lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Desmond Elliot, has explained why he signed the impeachment notice against former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa during the political crisis that rocked the Assembly in January 2025.
Elliot made the clarification while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday, following comments by Femi Gbajabiamila that he nearly lost his political position over allegations linking him to the impeachment plot.
According to Elliot, he was outside Nigeria when the impeachment took place and only signed the document after he returned and discovered that many lawmakers had already appended their signatures.
The actor-turned-politician disclosed that he and his wife travelled out of the country on January 13, 2025, during the Assembly’s recess to attend a family wedding in South Africa.
“I would like to state categorically that I wasn’t in the country. My wife and I travelled during the period of January 13th of 2025. We were in recess and then it was an opportunity for us to travel to attend my wife’s younger sister’s wedding,” he said.
Elliot stated that he was shocked to learn about Obasa’s impeachment while abroad, adding that many lawmakers believed the move had the backing of the presidency.
“That was the time Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa was impeached by the Lagos State House of Assembly. It came to me as a shock because I was in South Africa then,” he explained.
He further revealed that after returning to Nigeria, he noticed that several lawmakers had already endorsed the impeachment process.
“And then I saw that almost everybody had signed. 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,” Elliot said.
The lawmaker added that President Bola Tinubu later clarified that the impeachment did not have his approval and directed lawmakers to reinstate Obasa as Speaker.
“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,” he added.
Reacting to Gbajabiamila’s statement that he almost lost his position because of the impeachment controversy, Elliot expressed disappointment, noting that both men had maintained a longstanding political relationship.
“So, my leader coming to say this, that I almost lost his job, one I have served and has also been there for me for this long, to have said that came to me as a shock,” he stated.
The crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly began on January 13, 2025, when lawmakers impeached Obasa while he was reportedly on vacation in the United States.
The lawmakers accused him of gross misconduct, abuse of office, financial mismanagement, poor leadership style and persistent lateness to legislative sessions.
Following his removal, Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda emerged as the first female Speaker of the Assembly.
However, Obasa rejected the impeachment, insisting that due process was not followed. The development led to weeks of political tension, legal battles and interventions by leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the matter was eventually resolved with Obasa’s reinstatement as Speaker.
