The recently ousted Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has lost out completely in his bid to reinstate himself after his impeachment as majority of the members of the Assembly solidly stand behind the new Speaker, Mojisola Meranda
Indications have emerged since Wednesday, February 5, 2025 that President Bola Tinubu has accepted the plea of some critical stakeholders in Lagos State to allow the decision of the House of Assembly which impeached former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, and elected Speaker Mojisola Meranda, to stand.
It was learnt that President Bola Tinubu could not meet with the members of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council (GAC) who travelled to Abuja to rub minds with him on resolution of the issue, before he jetted out to France on a private visit en route Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Africa Union (AU) Heads of State. The AU session is scheduled for February 12 to 16, 2025.
As it is, the House resumed sitting on Thursday, February 6, as against the earlier directive with Meranda in-charge.
Already, the crisis has polarised the GAC and the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state with some stakeholders cautioning against acts that could rubbish the legislature, cast the party in bad light and hurt its chances in coming polls.
The GAC, had sent a high powered delegation to Abuja to brief Tinubu, the founder of the council on the outcome of the meeting with 39 members of the House of Assembly, held at Lagos House, Marina, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the moderator.
GAC, had on Monday, February 3 convened an emergency meeting with members of the Lagos State House of Assembly to resolve the leadership crisis in the Assembly.
Former Speaker Obasa was impeached, in absentia, by 32 of 40 members of the House on January 13, 2025 over alleged financial misappropriation, misconduct, and high-handedness among others.
In his stead, they elected his erstwhile deputy, Meranda, as Speaker.
The move led to conflicting reactions from members of the GAC, party faithful, as well as the general public.
The development did not augur well with Tinubu, and some party leaders who said they were not carried along in the removal of Obasa. The lawmakers reportedly apologised for the misstep in writing.
There were moves to give Obasa a soft-landing by reinstating him or commuting his impeachment to resignation. In the alternative, there were calls for Meranda to step down as speaker because she is from Lagos Central where Governor Sanwo-Olu hails in order for a lawmaker from Lagos West to be elected as speaker.
Names of three Lagos West lawmakers were shortlisted. However, the legislators rejected the above options.
The 20 lawmakers from Lagos West declined the speakership and threw their weight behind Meranda.
The lawmakers insisted that they must be allowed to run their own affairs if the legislative arm must function appropriately in delivering the “Greater Lagos Project” in line with Sanwo-Olu’s developmental agenda.
The latest development is an indication that former Speaker Obasa has lost out completely and has no better option than to tuck his tail between his thighs and move back to the Lagos State Assembly chambers with sheer humiliation.
