Mojisola Meranda and Mudashiru Obasa
Obasa in fresh plot to return as speaker of Lagos Assembly
An indication that peace has not returned to the Lagos State House of Assembly emerged at the close of work last week when workers in the legislative house were told by the authority to stay away from the office this week and work from home until further notice.
There are reports about fresh moves to return Mr Mudashiru Obasa to his former position, Speaker of the Assembly.
The House has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis following the removal of Obasa by 32 lawmakers on January 13, 2025, and Mrs Mojisola Meranda was elected as the substantive speaker.
A report by the Vanguard on Monday quoted Presidency sources as saying overtures had been made to the lawmakers to soft-pedal and support the embattled former Speaker.
It reported that members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) were also asked to rein in the anti-Obasa lawmakers.
This followed the disbandment of the Bisi Akande committee over its findings on the matter.
The committee was disbanded owing to the report it submitted after its visit that the odds were against Obasa.
The President had set up a high-powered committee of the party led by Bisi Akande and members including Aremo Olusegun Osoba, and former APC National Vice Chairman, South-west, Pius Akinyelure and others to resolve the crisis.
It further gathered that after the disbandment of the Akande committee, members of GAC were asked to rein in their loyalists in the Assembly and executive to back Obasa.
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The source said: “The Bisi Akande committee has been disbanded. The president has reached out to members of GAC who have loyalists or children in the Assembly to insist they work for Obasa’s return as Speaker.
“Obasa, on the other hand, has also been reaching out to lawmaker opposed to him in an attempt to gain their support.”
It was also learnt that the Presidency and party leaders were looking at the option of allowing the court to resolve the crisis.
Sources in the presidency said: “The President is insisting Obasa must return but the Assembly members are also throwing their weight behind Meranda. The two camps do not want to shift grounds. As it is, the court will decide who the Speaker is and you know how judicial process works, it will move from the High Court to Appeal Court and from there, to the Supreme Court; the court will decide.”
The embattled former Speaker had dragged Meranda, the Assembly and 36 lawmakers to court challenging his ‘unlawful’ removal.
Justice Yetunde Rukayat Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, last Friday, adjourned the hearing of all pending applications in the lawsuit filed by Obasa, to March 7.
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In a memo, titled ‘Amendment to Remote Work Schedule Arrangement’, addressed to staff and legislative aides, the Acting Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Babatunde Abubakar, said the move was to “guarantee safety and forestall any unwarranted consequences.”
Abubakar said: “I write to convey the approval of the leadership of the House to effect the following changes in the work-from-home arrangement pending the resolution of the current leadership crisis to guarantee safety and forestall any unwarranted consequences.
“To this end, all categories of staff at the Assembly, LAHASCOM and Legislative Aides are requested to work remotely from home until further notice.
“Please note that this arrangement is in tandem with the Head of Service, HOS circular 005 issued on January 15, 2025, affirming the leadership change in the House and the appointment of Mr A.T.B. Ottun as Acting Clerk.
“Note that this measure has become necessary for safety purposes and officers are enjoined to leave open communication lines as they can be called upon for any assignment whenever the need arises.
“Be assured that Princess Mojisola Meranda is committed to your safety and peaceful resolution of the crisis.”
The staff of the Lagos State Assembly had engaged men of the Department of State Services, DSS, when the latter stormed the Assembly complex, sealing offices and preventing lawmakers from holding the plenary session.
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