EXTRA: Obasa suffers gaffe, describes journalists as ‘fifth columnists’ in acceptance speech

In what appears to be a slip of the tongue, Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the Lagos house of assembly, on Monday described journalists as the “fifth columnists of the realm”.

Obasa mistakenly called journalists fifth columnists while delivering his acceptance speech shortly after his reelection as the speaker of the Lagos assembly.

During the plenary, Mojisola Meranda resigned as the speaker after 49 days in office. Meranda was elected speaker of the Lagos house of assembly after Obasa was removed on January 13 while out of the country.

Lawmakers had accused Obasa of gross misconduct and abuse of office, but after a series of covert and overt power struggles, he was restored as the speaker.

After his reinstatement, Obasa thanked his colleagues and party leaders, including Bisi Akande and Olusegun Osoba, former governors of Osun and Ogun states, respectively.

The speaker described the transition as a sign of political maturity within the assembly, adding that the legislature had mechanisms for resolving internal issues.

“I must not leave behind our friends, the fifth columnists of the realm,” Obasa said.

However, lawmakers quickly corrected him that the right statement is “fourth estate of the realm,” a phrase that is often used to describe members of the press.

Fifth columnists can be described as individuals or groups of persons that undermine the organisation to which they belong.