Lawmakers in the Lagos State House of Assembly have rejected Mudashiru Obasa’s claim to the position of Speaker, insisting that Mojisola Meranda remains the legitimate leader of the House.
Speaking to journalists at the Assembly complex on Thursday, the legislators made it clear that Obasa is no longer recognised as Speaker, calling on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos to intervene in the ongoing crisis.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Security, and Strategy, Steven Ogundipe, emphasised the lawmakers’ united stance and their disappointment over recent developments.
Ogundipe stated, “We were approached by our leaders that we should remain calm and take things easy. But we are surprised to see what is happening here today.
“We won’t take laws into our hands, just as we told the staff not to take laws into our hands. But we all belong to different constituencies, and we have our mandate. Whatever has to happen, the leadership should speak with us and not this charade we are seeing.
“We are not happy; we have been law-abiding. We have not gone out of our way against the state. We also want to be respected and to be given our dignity. To be shown that we are elected. I’m appealing to the leadership of our party that we cannot continue this way.”
Despite the lawmakers’ rejection of his claim to the speakership, Obasa was seen entering the Assembly complex around noon on Thursday, accompanied by security officials and two lawmakers—Ayinde Akinsanya (Mushin Constituency I) and Noheem Adams (Mushin Constituency II). His arrival followed reports that security aides assigned to Speaker Meranda had been withdrawn.
The Lagos Assembly has been in turmoil since Obasa’s removal and Meranda’s election as Speaker. Over 90 per cent of the lawmakers had accused Obasa of poor leadership, habitual lateness to legislative functions, high-handedness, disregard for his colleagues and the state governor, abuse of office, and intimidation of Assembly members.
In a bid to resolve the crisis, APC leaders, including former governors Chief Bisi Akande, Segun Osoba, and Akinwunmi Ambode, held a series of meetings with political stakeholders last weekend, acting on the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
A member of the Governors Advisory Council, Chief Muraina Taiwo, revealed that party leaders were considering selecting a lawmaker from Lagos West to take over as Speaker, suggesting that both Obasa and Meranda might step aside.
