Obasa Impeachment: ‘I believed it had presidential backing’ – Desmond Elliot

Lagos State House of Assembly lawmaker, Desmond Elliot, has explained his role 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 on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, addressing public concerns over his involvement in the controversial political move.

He said he was outside Nigeria during the impeachment, attending his wife’s sister’s wedding in South Africa, and was surprised when the action took place.

“My wife and I travelled during the period of January 13, 2025… it was a legislative recess, and we attended a family wedding,” he said.

By the time Elliot saw the impeachment document, he said, most lawmakers had already signed, and he assumed the action came from the presidency.

“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 explained.

He added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu later clarified that he had not authorised the impeachment and instructed the lawmakers to reinstate Obasa, which they did.

Elliot also responded to comments from President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who suggested he was nearly affected by intelligence linked to the impeachment episode, calling the remark unexpected.

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