In July 2020, the Supreme Court of Nigeria revealed it had no record of the impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa as a registered lawyer in its registry.
The apex court maintains records of all certified lawyers authorised to practice in Nigerian courts.
Interestingly, Obasa’s profile on the Lagos State House of Assembly website claims he graduated from Lagos State University (LASU) and the Nigeria Law School.
Obasa’s recent impeachment as Speaker over gross misconduct has brought renewed attention to his credentials and qualifications.
On the website of the Lagos State House of Assembly, where he is now designated as a member, following his recent impeachment over gross misconduct, Obasa’s profile states that he graduated from Lagos State University (LASU) and the Nigeria Law School.
In response to an inquiry on Obasa’s status as a lawyer, the Supreme Court of Nigeria made a revelation on July 24, 2020. According to the court, Mudashiru Obasa’s name couldn’t be found on their extensive list of registered legal practitioners.
This information was confirmed in a letter signed by Gertrude B. Karenton-Mordi, Esq., representing the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court.
It read, “This is to inform you that we have checked our records and cannot find the name: MUDASHIRU AJAYI OBASA on the numerous rolls of legal practitioners kept in this honourable court.
“MUDASHIRU AJAYI OBASA is at liberty to come to the honourable court with his call to bar and qualifying certificates for enrollment. If he has done a change of name, he is expected to show proof of same.”
On Monday, January 13, 2025, Obasa was impeached for gross misconduct and abuse of office.
On May 14, 2020, it was reported that in another misuse of public funds and abuse of office, then Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Obasa, received N53m from the state coffers to travel with his mistress to the United States of America.
The report said Obasa got the House to approve the fund to facilitate a trip to Georgia, United States, for the 2019 US-Nigeria Trade and Investment Global Summit, which he was billed to attend with some members of the Assembly and their staff.
The event was subsequently postponed but rather than return the fund to the state’s treasury, Obasa diverted the funds for personal use as he travelled to the US with his mistress.
In a document sighted by The Bureau Newspaper dated October 15, 2019, Obasa had requested the Assembly to release the funds so he could attend the summit along with one of his staff.
The document partly read, “Given the above, kindly seek approval of the Rt. Hon. Speaker for release of the sum of N53,719,405 only to enable them to attend the programme.
“Hon. Speaker, please read from page 39 of file. You are respectfully invited to consider and approve the release of N53,719,405 to facilitate the attendance of the Hon. Speaker, Hon. members and one member of staff at the Y2019 US – Nigeria Trade and Investment Global Summit scheduled to take place in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, from 26th – 28th September 2019.”
It was gathered that though the meeting was rescheduled, Obasa travelled to the US with his mistress in place of his legislative staff.
An official of the Lagos Assembly, who spoke with The Bureau Newspaper, said the Speaker was always in the habit of travelling with his mistress in place of his staff whenever he was leaving the country for official purpose.
“The Speaker and his mistress, who doubles as his protocol and external relations officer in the Assembly, only went to the US after collecting N53m for the US-Nigeria Trade and Investment Global Summit.
“No other staff or member of the Assembly travelled with the Speaker or attended the event,” the source said.
Another person close to the Speaker’s team also confirmed the lamentation and anger of some of the staff listed on this approval, who couldn’t embark on the trip or got a share of the money.
The Bureau Newspaper had also exposed how Obasa fraudulently approved millions of naira for himself through the award of contracts to companies owned by him.
Other reports also revealed how he approved N17m monthly to maintain his personal residence and guest house.