Obasa Impeachment: Desmond Elliot Says He Signed Believing Move Had Presidential Backing

Lagos State House of Assembly lawmaker, Desmond Elliot, has explained his involvement in the January 2025 impeachment attempt against then-Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, saying he signed the impeachment document because he believed it had the backing of the presidency.

Elliot, who represents Surulere Constituency I, spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he addressed public reactions to his role in the controversial political development.

He said he was outside Nigeria when the impeachment took place, noting that he and his wife had travelled during a legislative recess.

“My wife and I travelled during the period of January 13th, 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 explained that the impeachment came as a surprise to him while he was in South Africa.

“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,” he said, adding that he returned to Nigeria a few days later.

According to him, by the time he saw the impeachment document, many lawmakers had already signed it, which influenced his decision to also append his signature.

“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,” he said.

Elliot added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu later clarified that the impeachment was not authorised and directed lawmakers to reverse the decision.

“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 said.

He also reacted to comments by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who suggested he was nearly affected by intelligence linked to the impeachment episode, describing the remark as unexpected given their relationship.

The impeachment crisis began on January 13, 2025, when a majority of lawmakers removed Obasa over allegations including misconduct, abuse of office, and financial mismanagement. Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda was immediately elected Speaker, becoming the first woman to hold the position.

The development later escalated into a political and legal dispute within the Lagos Assembly before being resolved with Obasa’s reinstatement.