The Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Information, Mr. Stephen Ogundipe, has disputed the immediate past speaker, Mudashiru Obasa’s claim on his impeachment.
Obasa was impeached by 32 out of the 40 members of the Assembly for alleged gross misconduct and financial impropriety on January 13.
The ex-speaker had earlier on Saturday faulted his removal by the lawmakers during a meeting with the All Progressives Congress (APC) members from the Mandate Group at his official residence in Ikeja.
Obasa said he remained the speaker until the House impeached him through due process.
He alleged that a fake mace was used to install Meranda as a speaker and that hundreds of policemen invaded the House on the day of his removal to intimidate his loyalists.
He said: “My status in the House? I believe strongly I am still the speaker until the right thing has been done.
“If you want to remove me, remove me the proper way, and I will not contest it.”
In a statement on behalf of the lawmakers, Ogundipe said Obasa’s removal followed due process.
He warned that any attempt by Obasa to cause unrest would be resisted by the majority of members who unanimously elected Mojisola Meranda as speaker of the House.
He stressed that over two-thirds of the members were united behind the new speaker.
The spokesman noted that it was “unparliamentary” for Obasa to continue to lay claim to the speakership after he was constitutionally removed by 32 out of 40 members of the House.
He said: “The position of the House remains the same, and nothing has changed.
“The position being canvassed by former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, is uncalled for and unparliamentary.
“The majority of members elected Obasa as Speaker for the 10th Assembly and we also at the said plenary took the majority decision to remove him and stand by the new speaker. So, nothing has changed.
“All members were elected from their various constituencies across the state and we all have the inalienable rights under the necessary Statutory orders to remove their principal officers, including the speaker.”