Lagos lawmaker and actor-turned-politician, Desmond Elliot, has finally explained why he signed the impeachment notice against Speaker Mudashiru Obasa during the leadership crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly in January 2025.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Elliot said he believed the impeachment move had the backing of the presidency at the time.
The Surulere Constituency I representative was reacting to recent comments by President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who claimed Elliot nearly cost him his political position over intelligence reports linking him to the impeachment plot.
Responding to the allegation, Elliot disclosed that he was outside Nigeria when the crisis began and only returned days later after hearing about Obasa’s removal.
“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,” he said.
“We were in recess and then it was an opportunity for us to travel to attend my wife’s younger sister’s wedding.”
Elliot explained that he was in South Africa when news broke that Obasa had been impeached by members of the Assembly.
“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 stated.
According to him, many lawmakers believed the impeachment had the approval of President Bola Tinubu, which influenced his decision to append his signature to the document.
“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,” Elliot said.
“And, of course, I appended my own signature.”
The lawmaker added that the Assembly members later received clarification directly from President Tinubu, who reportedly informed them that he did not authorise the impeachment and instructed them to restore 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 further to Gbajabiamila’s accusation, Elliot admitted he was surprised by the remarks given their longstanding political relationship.
“So, my leader coming to say this, that I almost lost his job, one I have served and who has also been there for me for this long, to have said that came to me as a shock,” he said.
The political crisis began on January 13, 2025, when a majority of 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, and persistent lateness to legislative sessions.
Following his removal, Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda was elected as the first female Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
However, Obasa rejected the impeachment, insisting it was unconstitutional and carried out without due process.
The crisis later escalated into weeks of political tension, legal battles, and intervention from APC leaders before Meranda eventually resigned, paving the way for Obasa’s reinstatement as Speaker.
