Lagos Assembly crisis may consume Obasa, Meranda, new speaker to emerge

Mudashiru Obasa and Mojisola Meranda

Lagos Assembly crisis may consume Obasa, Meranda, new speaker to emerge

The crisis that has engulfed the Lagos House of Assembly over the last one month may claim two top leaders of the house, the incumbent Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, and the impeached Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
A new report by The Punch indicated that the duo might be asked to step aside for another lawmaker to lead the House in a new move to give peace a chance.
This is said to be the recommendation of a high-powered All Progressives Congress team directed by President Bola Tinubu to resolve the political logjam at the Lagos Assembly.
The intervention team comprises former governors of Osun, Ogun and Lagos states, namely Chief Bisi Akande, Segun Osoba, and Akinwunmi Ambode, respectively.
The team was raised after the Governance Advisory Council failed to resolve the crisis.
Osoba, Ambode, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and all the GAC members reportedly met at the Governor’s Lodge in Marina over the crisis.
The Punch reported that the meeting lasted till around 7 pm.

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It was also learnt that the panel earlier met with the lawmakers.
The newspaper reported a GAC member, Chief Muraina Taiwo, of speaking on the outcome of the meeting on Monday, noting that one of the seven lawmakers from Lagos West was being considered by the party leaders as the new Speaker.
He said, “The issue will die down soon. Between now and the middle of next week, everything will become clearer. The APC leaders, including Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Olusegun Osoba, came to mediate.
“They will go back to Abuja to brief our leader (Tinubu) how they feel about everything.
“They are suggesting to Speaker Obasa that he should step down and the other woman (Meranda) to also step down and they will bring in another new person.”

The crisis began at the House on January 13, 2025, when about 36 lawmakers removed Obasa as speaker and replaced him with Meranda, the then-deputy speaker.
Over 90 per cent of the lawmakers accused the impeached speaker of poor leadership style, perpetual lateness to legislative sections and plenary, high-handedness and disregard for colleague lawmakers and the executive, especially the governor.
Obasa, who was away in the United States, when he was removed, has faulted his removal and insisted he remained the speaker.
But his colleagues in the Assembly said there was no going back in his impeachment and went ahead to pass vote of confidence in the new Speaker, Meranda.