Prominent lawyer and human rights activist Liborous Oshoma has criticized the legal argument presented by the impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, regarding his removal from office.
In a statement made available to TheWest Newspaper on Saturday, Oshoma dismissed Obasa’s claims of unconstitutionality, stating that the embattled Speaker failed to substantiate his position with any relevant legal citations. “I thought they said he is a lawyer. I expected him to cite the relevant sections of the law he thinks have been breached in his removal from office, and he couldn’t cite any,” Oshoma remarked.
Oshoma referenced Section 92(2)(C) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which stipulates the procedure for removing a Speaker or Deputy Speaker of a House of Assembly. The section reads: “The Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly shall vacate his office if he is removed from office by a resolution of the House of Assembly by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of the members of the House.”
The lawyer reiterated that the constitutional provision is unambiguous and that Obasa’s removal by 32 out of 40 lawmakers met the required threshold. “The provisions are very clear,” Oshoma emphasized, adding that Obasa’s press conference amounted to “the cry of a drowned politician” and carried little weight in Nigerian politics.
Obasa, who served as Speaker for nearly a decade, was removed from office on January 13, 2025, over allegations of misconduct and financial mismanagement. He has since rejected the impeachment, alleging procedural irregularities, including the use of a “fake mace” during the process.
Despite his claims, Oshoma maintained that the removal adhered to the constitutional framework and dismissed Obasa’s assertions as baseless. The development continues to generate debate, with observers awaiting further legal or political actions from both sides.
