By Deyemi Saka

Most Nigerians are always very quick to be dismissive if and when bad fate befalls any public office holder with the conviction that it’s a “dog eat dog” affair and they don’t have a dog in the fight.

To anyone who knows me, I’ve never been a fan of the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, but truth must be told, Nigerians oxygenate these drama to the advantages and the interests of these politicians.

Why do I say this?

We often times create the echo chamber and the court of public opinion that gives justification for their actions especially those which impunge on the sanctity and the sacredness of our democratic institutions.

Take a cursory look on the allegations which Obasa’s removal was hinged upon, you’ll realise they are self-serving, shallow, egocentric, narrow and fictitious. Fictitious because there were no specifics.

The motion of his removal by Hon. Femi Saheed which was moved under the Matter of Urgent Public Importance, Hon Saheed claimed “gross misconduct and poor leadership, which included perpetual lateness to legislative sessions and meetings, high-handedness and lack of regard for honourable members, gross abuse of office and privileges, intimidation and oppression of honourable members by inciting members against one another, amongst others.” It further claimed Obasa also “practices an authoritarian and undemocratic leadership style in discharging his duties,” and ought to be removed.

Obasa’s removal yet again brings to fore the argument for us as a nation to explicitly define ” gross misconduct and abuse of office” in our Constitution because it is obvious that once those around me do not like my face or I don’t serve their interests, the most convenient excuse to remove me from office is to cite “gross misconduct”.

Five years into his time as the Speaker of House of Assembly Lagos State in 2020, the House had a great opportunity to tell Lagosians and Nigerians that they are in public office to serve the interests of Lagosians when the news and stories of misappropriation of public funds and allegations of corruption against Obasa. What happened? He was given a clean bill, and to a vote of immense confidence from members. So I’m wondering if the State House of Assembly is filled with new members, or they just had a new brain and heart transplant which made them see things differently and have new emotions and sentiments to past events. This is why I and every rational mind question the motive behind his removal.

I don’t know how personality trait is a reason to be removed from office. OBJ was firm while in office while Late Yaradu’a and GEJ were diplomatic while in office, they all got the job done. So I’m left wondering why a leadership style of an office holder is now a crime.

I’ve got more to say on the matter, but I would like to watch and get amused, as the new leadership of the State House of Assembly dwells deeper on its victim mentality and jumping all over media space like excited ions in a chain chemical reaction while trying to justify a self-serving action as an altruistic one.

Mr Deyemi Saka, a public affairs analyst, writes from Lagos.