Conflicts of interest: Lagos lawmakers insist Meranda remains speaker, reject Obasa
The members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have dismissed Mudashiru Obasa from his position as Speaker of the parliament. Speaking to news men at the assembly complex on Thursday, February 27, 2025, the legislators contradicted Obasa’s assertion that he continues to hold the role of speaker.
The 36 lawmakers expressed their unwavering support for the current speaker, Mojisola Meranda, affirming her position as the legitimate speaker of the assembly. Steven Ogundipe, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, emphasized the lawmakers’ determination to uphold Obasa’s removal.
Ogundipe also called on the All Progressives Congress leadership in Lagos to intervene in the leadership crisis.
He said, “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.”
According to The PUNCH Online reports that Obasa, alongside security officials, had stormed the assembly complex and entered the Speaker’s Office around 12 noon today.
The development followed the withdrawal of the security aides of the Speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
The assembly has been embroiled in a leadership crisis since Obasa’s removal as speaker and the subsequent election of Meranda.
Obasa was accused by over 90 per cent of the lawmakers of poor leadership style, perpetual lateness to legislative functions and plenary, high-handedness and disregard for colleague lawmakers and the executive, especially the governor, abuse of office and privileges, intimidation and oppression of members among others.
In an attempt to resolve the crisis, some All Progressives Congress bigwigs, notably former governors of Osun, Ogun and Lagos states, Chief Bisi Akande, Segun Osoba, and Akinwunmi Ambode, respectively, among others, on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, had a series of meetings last weekend with political stakeholders in the state including members of the assembly.
A member of the Governors Advisory Council, Chief Muraina Taiwo, noted that one of the seven lawmakers from Lagos West was being considered by the party leaders as the new Speaker.
