Scandal Unveiled: Ex-Lagos Speaker’s Legal Credentials Questioned
Trouble continues to mount for the recently impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, after a document surfaced on social media, raising serious questions about his legal qualifications. The document, which was a response from the Supreme Court, revealed that Obasa’s name does not appear in the official records of legal practitioners in Nigeria.
Dated July 24, 2020, the response was signed by Gertrude Karenton-Mordi, acting on behalf of the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court. It was in reply to a request for verification of Obasa’s status as a lawyer. The letter, titled “Re: Verification of Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” informed that the apex court had been unable to locate Obasa’s name in any of its legal records.
The document read in part: “We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 23rd July, 2020. 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.” The letter continued by advising Obasa to visit the Supreme Court with the necessary documents, including his Call to Bar certificate, for enrollment if he indeed held the status of a legal practitioner.
The Supreme Court also stated that if Obasa had undergone a name change, he should provide proof of it. Dr. Fetus Akande, the Supreme Court’s spokesperson, later confirmed the authenticity of the document, stating, “It emanated from our office.”
Obasa had previously claimed to have graduated with a law degree from Lagos State University in 2006. However, an anonymous letter sent to the Supreme Court on July 23, 2020, raised doubts about his claim by inquiring whether his name appeared in the rolls of legal practitioners.
Obasa’s impeachment as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday has only intensified the controversy. His removal, which followed accusations of gross misconduct and abuse of office, has opened the door for the appointment of Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda as the state’s first female speaker.
