I never walked out on Obasa, says Lagos lawmaker, Moshood Oshun

Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Moshood Olanrewaju Oshun representing Lagos Mainland 02, said he never walked out on the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, at the plenary contrary to a widely circulated report to that effect.

Oshun said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos, disclosing that nothing of such happened as he already complained to the speaker ahead of the day’s plenary of Tuesday, June 30, 2020, that he was uncomfortable and feeling inconvenient making use of the seat allotted to him as per the new sitting arrangement in the chamber.

“The truth of the matter is that I had complained to the Speaker about the seat allocated to me in the new seating arrangement in the chamber, informing him of how uncomfortable and inconvenient it is for me. This complaint I made prior to the Tuesday plenary hoping that my complaint would be given a deserved attention,” the lawmaker said.

Oshun said it was the same issue he drew the Speaker’s attention to the day of the incident, but was given the option of leaving the chamber if he could not manage with the allotted seat while the plenary lasted.

“Again, at the plenary on Tuesday, 30th June 2020, I raised the same complaint but the Speaker insisted that I must sit on the seat allocated to me or leave the chamber. And rather than sit on the said seat and subject myself to inconveniences while the plenary lasted, I, however, chose to take the Speaker’s second option and left the chamber,” he said.

“It was, therefore, shocking to read on the pages of newspapers the following day that I walked out on the Speaker at the plenary hence, it becomes imperative to debunk the false story and to set the record straight,” he added.

It would be recalled that Oshun was among the four lawmakers suspended by the Speaker, Obasa, in March 2020.

The affected lawmakers include two principal officers, namely: the Chief Whip, Lateef Rotimi Abiru and the Deputy Majority Leader, Olumuyiwa Jimoh as well as two other members, Moshood Oshun and Kazeem Adewale Raheem.

While announcing their suspension, Obasa accused them of alleged gross misconduct, insubordination and action that can destabilise the House, while invoking Section 68 and Section 70 4 (a, b) 2 and 3 of the House Rules, even as he declared that the House remained the hope of the people as well as the heartbeat of democracy.

The Speaker’s decisions went through voice votes by some of the members present at the plenary.

The suspension of the four lawmakers had since been lifted after the intervention of the party leadership, but the affected principal officers were yet to be restored to their seats.

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