When Hunter Becomes the Hunted in Lagos Assembly Lagos Assembly When Hunter Becomes the Hunted in Lagos Assembly 

An Ikeja High Court last week adjourned the hearing of the suit filed by the reinstated Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, until March 17, after his legal team raised allegations of fraud against his deputy, Mojisola Meranda who resigned as speaker to allow his reelection.

Obasa was removed from office on January 13, leading to Meranda’s election as his replacement.

His removal while he was in the United States followed allegations of misappropriation of funds, high-handedness and lack of transparency in the management of the Assembly’s affairs.

Obasa was accused of highhandedness and financial irregularities, which included a N44billion allocated for vehicles.

There was also the allegation of N15.6billion allocated for office construction, amid claims that the existing facilities were functional.

Sometime in October 2020, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reportedly interrogated Obasa for allegedly owning over 60 bank accounts.

He was also accused of awarding contracts to himself, using different fronts and spending N80 million as allowance during the training of wives of 20 lawmakers in Dubai.

His removal came barely a month after he was accused by a group, Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition, of spending N17 billion to construct a gate that leads to the Assembly complex and N200 million on a thanksgiving service.

However, on March 3, with the intervention of former Governor Bisi Akande-led panel, Obasa was reinstated as speaker of the assembly following Meranda’s resignation sequel to a peace deal struck.

Surprisingly when Obasa’s suit came up in court last Monday, his legal team raised allegations of fraud against Meranda.

The question is: What happened to the massive allegations of corruption levelled against Obasa?

However, at a meeting between President Tinubu and all the 40 lawmakers at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Wednesday, the president was said to have directed Obasa to withdraw the suit against the lawmakers.

Tinubu also reportedly backed his return as speaker, which was said to be contrary to the earlier recommendation that he should resign after reinstatement.

Despite the new development, the strange twist in the corruption allegations showed that Meranda, the hunter, has become the hunted