Thursday, September 10, 2026

I was confused when I joined other lawmakers to remove Speaker Obasa: Desmond Elliot

“We thought it (Mr Obasa’s removal) was from the presidency,” Mr Elliot said.

• May 20, 2026
Desmond Elliot
Desmond Elliot and Obasa

Desmond Elliot, the Lagos lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency I, has revealed how he was allegedly confused and railroaded into joining forces to remove Mudashiru Obasa as the speaker.

“I’d like to state categorically that I wasn’t in the country during the period of January 13th, we were in recess. It was an opportunity for us to travel and attend my wife’s younger sister’s wedding. That was the time Rt. Honourable Mudashiru Obasa was impeached.

“It came to me as a shock because I was in South Africa then. So, obviously, it took me about two days to come back. I was also as confused as everybody was, and then, I saw that almost everybody had signed. Pretty much, in all fairness, we thought it was from the presidency,” Mr Elliot said in a Channels TV interview on Tuesday.

The Lagos politician added, “I appended my own signature, I believe I was maybe 30-something person at that point in time because others that had travelled and returned, had also signed. 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.”

Mr Elliot’s latest comments followed his apology to the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Mr Gbajabiamila said he was almost fired by President Bola Tinubu because of Mr Elliot’s role in the removal of Mr Obasa.

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