Desmond Elliot Explains Why He Signed Obasa’s Impeachment Notice Amid Political Controversy

Desmond Elliot says he signed Speaker Mudashiru Obasa’s impeachment notice after believing the move had presidential backing, amid ongoing controversy over the Lagos Assembly leadership crisis.

by chisom adaeze

The political tensions surrounding the attempted impeachment of Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa have taken a new turn after lawmaker and actor Desmond Elliot publicly explained his role in the controversial process.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Elliot addressed allegations linking him to the January 2025 impeachment attempt against Obasa and responded to comments previously made by presidential Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila.

Gbajabiamila had earlier disclosed that he nearly lost his position within the presidency after intelligence reports allegedly connected Elliot to political activities surrounding the Assembly leadership crisis.

Reacting to the accusations, Elliot insisted that he was not actively involved in planning the impeachment and claimed he was outside Nigeria when the political drama unfolded.

According to the Surulere Constituency I representative, he and his wife had travelled out of the country during the Assembly recess to attend a family wedding in South Africa.

“I would like to state categorically that I wasn’t in the country,” Elliot said during the interview.

“My wife and I travelled during the period of January 13, 2025. We were in recess and then it was an opportunity for us to travel to attend my wife’s younger sister’s wedding.”

The lawmaker explained that news of Obasa’s impeachment came as a surprise to him while he was abroad and admitted that he returned to Nigeria confused about the situation, just like many others.

According to Elliot, the widespread belief among lawmakers at the time was that the impeachment process had the approval or backing of the presidency.

“That was the time Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa was impeached. It came to me as a shock because I was in South Africa then,” he said.

“So, obviously, it took me about two days to come back. I was also as confused as everybody was.”

Elliot further revealed that by the time he returned, many lawmakers had already signed the impeachment notice, adding that he eventually appended his signature because he believed the move had official political support from higher authorities.

“And then I saw that almost everybody had signed. And pretty much we thought it was from the presidency. In all fairness, we thought it was from the presidency,” he explained.

“And, of course, I appended my own signature.”

The lawmaker said he was likely among the later signatories, noting that several Assembly members who had travelled had also returned and signed the impeachment document.

The controversy surrounding Obasa’s impeachment became one of the biggest political crises within the Lagos State House of Assembly in recent years, exposing internal divisions within the ruling All Progressives Congress in Lagos.

The leadership dispute reportedly triggered intense political negotiations and interventions involving senior party leaders and influential figures within the presidency before tensions were eventually eased.

Political analysts say Elliot’s latest comments offer rare insight into the behind-the-scenes confusion and assumptions that surrounded the impeachment process, particularly regarding perceived presidential influence in state-level political matters.

The development has also renewed discussions about power dynamics within Lagos politics and the growing influence of internal party rivalries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Observers believe the controversy reflects broader struggles over political control, loyalty, and succession within the Lagos political structure, long regarded as one of the most influential centres of power in Nigerian politics.