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Obasa denies wife slept with his driver -admits taking second wife

First wife confirms leaving matrimonial home

 is one of the ranking members of Lagos House of Assembly representing Agege Constituency 1.  The young man, who has just won the House of Assembly elections for the fourth time was basking in the euphoria of his victory when a story emerged on the internet that shook him to his marrows.

The story had it that he has sent his first wife, Alhaja Fausat Abiola Obasa, the mother of his first four children packing from their matrimonial home on the allegation of adultery.  And wait for this…for sleeping with her husband’s driver, Samuel.

The lawmaker who is also a lawyer did not find the story funny.  Rather than glorify the writer with a response, he decided to keep a philosophical calmness until ENCOMIUM Weekly got in touch with him.

Out of respect he has for us, he decided to open up on the issue.  He invited us to his residence and did not only grant us audience for an interview but also gave us the opportunity to interview his first wife too.

Read their interviews to the whole allegation.

We read a story online that you are having a problem in your marital life.  We want you to throw light on the story?

I read the story too and many have been calling me but I have decided to disregard such story.  I don’t think there is any substance in the story that is worth one’s response.  Misunderstandings happen in marriages.  That is normal.  But the misunderstanding between me and my first wife did not in any way relate to what was written in the so-called magazine.

So, it has been published in a magazine?  I thought it was only online.

No, it is not only online.  It was published in a magazine and I gathered that is the first edition of the magazine.  There is another story in the magazine concerning the governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan which I gathered from a reliable source that it happened about three or four years ago when the writer was working with Global Excellence.  You can imagine the sort of person the writer is if, three years after an incident and you got clarifications from those concerned and you still went ahead to use the story in your own magazine.

The writer called about two months ago to ask me whether it is true that I sent my wife packing because my driver was sleeping with her. I said no.  I told him my wife was at home and nothing of such happened.  I told him all my drivers that have left my employment are still working with me one way or the other.  I told him one of my former drivers was presently supporting my campaign for re-election.

He didn’t mention anybody’s name then.  It was in the story he mentioned the name, Samuel.  Samuel was a boy that was born into my hands.  His father was an area brother when we were growing up.  His father brought him to me to take care of.  But I discovered the boy was not honest.  He was colluding with those working for me at the site to defraud me.  He did it more than three times before I sent him packing.  This is a boy I was paying his school fees and giving him money to take care of himself.

You even sent him to school?

No, I did not send him to school.  He went to school on his own.  But anytime he wants to pay his school fees he comes to me and I will give it to him. Even his brother, who was into music came to me for money when he wanted to go into the studio for recording for financial assistance.  So, when he eventually mentioned Samuel in the story, I just felt the whole thing is hogwash.

Truly, when I married my second wife, there was an issue with my first wife.  That is a normal thing.  There is no way you marry a second wife and the first wife will not react.  But we thank Almighty Allah that we were able to resolve everything amicably.

This issue of moving out of the matrimonial home has to do with her working in the local government council. I told her (first wife) she cannot be working in local government council while I am a member of House of Assembly.  I told her if she had been working there before I joined the Assembly, that would have been a different thing.  I told her I would rather prefer her doing something on her own than being a worker in the local government council.  But she insisted she wants to work in the local council.  I insisted I was not going to accept that.  That was the genesis of the disagreement between my first wife and I.  It has nothing to do with adultery at all.

Two, Samuel left here about two or three years ago.  But the issue of moving out or not happened between 2014 and 2015.  So, what is the connection between her moving out and Samuel?  There is no connection between the two at all.

Also, in the story, it was said I was selling wrist watch when I married my wife, that I had no money then. Now that I have money, I sent her packing on the ground she was sleeping with my driver or sleeping around.  I am not that stupid to be go around telling people my wife sleeps around.

Did you actually sell wrist watch?

Yes, I did.  People are just myopic in their reasoning sometimes.  I never told anybody I came from a wealthy background.  I am proud of my humble background.  I worked with Staftrust Nigeria Limited.  I was posted to Nigeria International Bank (NIB) at Idowu Taylor, Victoria Island, Lagos.  After that I worked with Cargo Nigeria, a foreign company.  I was the only Nigerian in that organization. The owners are from France.

The company was into corporate gifts – wrist watches, umbrellas, teacups, etc, all imported from abroad.  I was doing the delivery and picking up of cheques, etc.  I left the company when I wanted to travel abroad.  Unfortunately, the journey didn’t work out.  But I have my childhood friends who were selling wrist watches at Oshodi.  I joined them when I was out of job.  Anytime I don’t have anything doing, rather than staying at home, I went to Oshodo to join my friends.  That was all. Wasiu Sanni, Jelili Sanni and Taju, all of them, they are my friends.

Wasiu Sanni was actually my friend and we are still friends up till now.  All others are his brother and friend who later became my friend too.  It was through him that I went to Oshodi to get myself busy rather than staying at home doing nothing.  That is the genesis of wrist watch seller.

Like I said, I am not ashamed of my humble background and I am proud of where I am today.  People are quick to remind you of your past when you have made it.  They don’t care about where you are now.  A lot of people that have made it came from humble background.

Was it after this that you joined politics?

I have been in politics before then.  I was there during Abacha’s UNCP, I was zonal chairman, ward exco, campaign chairman.  I was also there during zero party.  In 1999, I contested the councillorship of my ward, I won.  It was from councilor I contested for the House of Assembly in 2003 and I won too.  With the support of Almighty Allah and our people, I have been winning since then.  People always want to say things that would take value away from you rather than saying things that would add value to you.

I have discovered that if you disturb yourself by all these, you are just wasting your time. I don’t look back and I don’t allow such things to distract me.  My focus is to continue to forge ahead in my career politically and otherwise and continue to pray to Almighty Allah to continue to help me to progress.

Do you think this kind of story has anything to do with your speakership ambition?

It can’t be ruled out completely.  It has happened before in our House.  I can remember the case of the former Deputy Speaker, Hon. Bola Badmus when stories were flying around in soft-sell magazines about her certificate issues.  This same thing happened to Hon. Risikat Adegeye. Even Rt. Hon. Ikuforiji’s issues as well.  There were a lot of stories going around.  So, one can’t completely rule it out.

Few months ago, there was nothing like this story.  Now that the issue of speakership is becoming interesting and Obasa’s face is been shown as one of the contestants that is when stories are now flying around.  Who knows what will come after this?

I think people who think because my name has been mentioned in some newspapers as one of the aspirants to the speakership, think they can make money out of me by publishing rubbish about me.  That is the way I see it and that is why I wouldn’t bother myself about it.  People have been calling and I told them if I have a wife that is sleeping around, I have no choice than to drive her away.

If you have a wife that is wayward and promiscuous and you still keep her in the house, there must be something.  Maybe the person has been jazzed (juju).

There was the issue in the story that you removed the name of your first wife from the list of lawmakers’ wives that travelled to Ghana and you replaced it with that of the second wife?  Did you actually remove her name?

My first wife was not around then and I had to submit a name.

Where was she?

That was the time we had an issue.  That was the period I had to submit a name.

Is your second wife also a member of LASLEWA?

No.  I have only a representative there.

Who is your representative there?

She was (referring to the first wife sitting close by).

Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

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