Politics in Nigeria: Where Is Former Lagos State Deputer Speaker, Funmi Tejuosho? Why Was She Impeached By Babatunde Raji Fashola?

Funmi Tejuosho currently is the chairperson of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Finance. In 2003, she was voted into the Lagos State House of Assembly to represent Mushin Constituency I. In the assembly, Tejuosho sponsored the bill that later became known as the Lagos State Protection Against Domestic Violence Law of 2007. The law grants protection orders to victims of domestic violence from their oppressors. She subsequently held various positions in the House including Deputy Chief Whip, Deputy Speaker and Chairman as well as Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Finance.

She was nominated as deputy speaker in 2007 but was impeached in 2009 for gross misconduct bordering on undermining the authority of the House as well as disrespect to the House and violation of House rules. She was also allegedly involved in some illegal deals amounting to losses worth billions of Naira all on Lagos State. The impeachment notice had been signed by 30 members of the House and when the then speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, finally put the matter to vote, 28 lawmakers voted in favor of her impeachment while two were against it.

In November 2017, Tejuosho and her family were evicted from their GRA Ikeja mansion by the Ambode-led government following the decision to implement a far-reaching report on the sale of under-valued assets allegedly sold illegally. The mansion, ideally, was supposed to be an official residence of the Deputy Speaker of Lagos State but Tejuosho had refused to vacate the house since her impeachment thereby denying subsequent deputy speakers access to their official residence. Tejuosho’s husband took to the media to explain that the property was bought by his family through a company linked to Funmi Tejuosho- Debam Mega Solutions Limited. However, the property which is valued at hundreds of millions of Naira was in 2010 offered to Honourable Funmi Tejuosho, through the aforementioned company for a sum far less than half of the value and seven years after the offer, barely half of the offered sum has been paid to the State Government coffers by the company.

This clear case of daylight robbery was the last that has been heard of the Tejuosho family since they were compelled to vacate the mansion.