A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Muiz Banire, has described the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly as an inevitable consequence of his actions and political miscalculations.

Speaking on Channels TV’s Hard Copy on Sunday, Banire outlined key factors that led to Obasa’s ouster, including his controversial stance on local government autonomy, his strained relationship with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his disregard for party unity.

Banire noted that Obasa’s removal was rooted in his opposition to local government autonomy and elections—stances that diverged from the positions of the governor and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Beyond the issue of the budget and the delay of the governor, Obasa took a position contrary to that of his governor and his party. His stance against local government autonomy and the conduct of local government elections was irreconcilable. For him to go against such an establishment, he had to face the consequences,” Banire said.

Banire also cited Obasa’s perceived disrespect towards Governor Sanwo-Olu as a critical factor in his removal.

“Obasa’s speech to Sanwo-Olu was rude and an act of insubordination; he breached mutual respect. Before that, there were already issues on the ground warranting his removal. For instance, delaying the governor for four hours during his visit to the Assembly was unacceptable,” he explained.

Although the governor appeared indifferent to the incident, Banire revealed that party leaders viewed Obasa’s actions as a public affront to party unity.

“He gave the impression to the world that there was a fracture in the party by externalising it in his speech. That was the trigger for the sanctions,” Banire added.

Banire stated that Obasa’s removal marked the collapse of his political influence, as his power and support were tied to his position as Speaker.

“If there was any support Obasa had gathered before, it has automatically crumbled. In politics, people worship money and offices. The moment he is no longer occupying the office, his influence withers away,” he said.

Banire invoked the principle of karma, highlighting Obasa’s role in the removal of previous Assembly leaders.