President Bola Tinubu has directed the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to indefinitely withhold police security details from two prominent Lagos monarchs—Oba Omogbolahan Lawal, Oniru of Iruland, and Oba Saheed Elegushi—over their alleged roles in the controversial impeachment of Lagos House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
Quiting multiple sources, Peoples Gazette stated that President Tinubu was enraged after learning that the monarchs supported Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in orchestrating Obasa’s removal on January 13.
The president, sources said, was dissatisfied with the governor’s inability to manage internal political dynamics and decided to penalize all individuals he believed were involved in the impeachment plot.
In recent weeks, police vans that once stood guard outside the palaces of Oniru and Elegushi have vanished. A source at the Oniru palace confirmed that the monarch has resorted to hiring private guards and outfitted them in black suits to mimic state security agents.
“The president has not softened his stance. He believes Oniru and Elegushi allowed themselves to be used by the governor and failed to confirm from his office whether he actually backed Obasa’s removal,” the newspaper quoted a source.
Although constitutional limits prevent President Tinubu from taking direct punitive action against Sanwo-Olu, who is a sitting governor, insiders revealed he is targeting the governor’s allies.
Oniru has denied political involvement, saying his only connection to the impeachment was through his sister, Mojisola Meranda, who briefly replaced Obasa as Speaker.
“His Royal Majesty is not a politician. He is focused on the welfare of his people and the promotion of Iru Kingdom’s heritage,” said palace spokesman Hakeem Akintoye.
Elegushi also claimed there were no security issues, although sources indicated he has made behind-the-scenes moves to restore his police detail.
Obasa, a longtime ally of Tinubu and a key political figure in Lagos, was reinstated on March 3 following a presidential directive. His initial removal followed a Gazette exposé on alleged corruption and abuse of office, which he denied. Tinubu is said to view Obasa as instrumental to retaining political dominance in Lagos, especially ahead of the 2027 elections.
The president reportedly snubbed a birthday celebration planned by Sanwo-Olu in Lagos, suspecting that the governor had invited traditional rulers to mediate in the ongoing feud. Tinubu, who lost Lagos to Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election, is determined not to lose his political stronghold again.
Sources described Obasa as a key asset in Tinubu’s plan to maintain control of Lagos, especially in the politically significant Agege-Alimosho axis. The president’s resolve to punish those perceived as disloyal has now extended to the royal palaces once favored by the presidency.
Despite their traditional roles, both monarchs have become influential in Lagos politics under Tinubu’s patronage, especially due to their strategic coastal locations and land allocations to Tinubu’s associates, including billionaire Gilbert Chagoury.
As Tinubu continues to tighten his grip on Lagos, the fallout from the Obasa impeachment underscores the deepening fractures within the political establishment of Nigeria’s commercial capital.
