The 49-day reign of Mojisola Meranda as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly ended on Monday, when the lawmakers re-elected Mudashiru Obasa to lead them.
The move is not unconnected to the resolutions of the mediating panel led by Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governors of Osun and Ogun states, who intervened in the leadership crisis that rocked the assembly for almost 50 days.
Over a week ago, the heavyweights in the All Progressives Congress, including the aforementioned former governors, were drafted by President Bola Tinubu to find a lasting solution to the Assembly leadership crisis which began when Obasa was removed by over 30 lawmakers on January 13, 2025.
Obasa was away in the United States when he was removed and replaced with his deputy, Meranda, a move that Obasa vehemently rejected, and even approached the court to challenge.
At the plenary on Monday, other principal officers elected under Meranda also resigned from their positions, including Deputy Speaker, Mojeed Fatai, and Chief Whip, Okanlawon Sani.
Before the development, Obasa, Meranda and all the lawmakers had met with the leadership of the party in the state, led by the state Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi.
The state Attorney General, Lawal Pedro (SAN), was also at the meeting held outside the assembly chamber, before the plenary where Meranda officially resigned.
In her resignation speech, Meranda stated that her decision was made in the interest of democracy and to prevent further crises within the Assembly.
She emphasised that leadership required selfless sacrifice and that stepping down was necessary to maintain stability.
“I wish to let every one of you know that I have made a personal sacrifice towards resolving the leadership crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly.
“I recognise the role my family has played and continues to play in entrenching democracy, good governance, and the betterment of our people.
“I will never depart from the well-established path of honour, dignity, integrity, and service as personified by my late father,” she said.
The first female speaker in the history of the Assembly added, “I took this decision carefully and with firm consideration.
“On one hand, I accepted the position of Speaker on January 13, 2025, and on the other hand, I resigned the position as it is threatening the democracy of this House.
“I am not a quitter; however, I took this bold decision in order to save this legislative institution from further unnecessary conflict and embarrassment.
“Accordingly, I have agreed to yet again make a personal sacrifice by stepping down as the Speaker of this great Assembly.”
According to Meranda, the party is supreme.
“I sincerely thank you for your understanding and support, just as we know that party decisions are supreme,” she said.
Obasa, who took a fresh oath of office as the Speaker, pledged to Lagos residents that the assembly would continue to make laws for the progress of the state.
He appreciated the intervention of Akande and Osoba in resolving the crisis.
He said, “We want to assure Lagosians that we have resolved and determined to serve their interest and protect their interest always.
“Our major responsibility is to represent them and that’s what we have been doing.
“What is happening here today shows that the Lagos State House of Assembly is capable and is a House of integrity. It is a house that has an internal mechanism to resolve issues in the interest of the institution and our party.
“Today is not the day for speech making but to celebrate my colleagues and thank them for all they have been doing. I am sure we will continue to work together in peace, love and harmony.”
Obasa thereafter adjourned the plenary indefinitely.
An earlier report indicated that part of the resolutions of the Akande-led panel who met with members of the Governance Advisory Council, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the lawmakers at Marina, was for Obasa to also resign after being re-elected as Speaker.
A GAC member, Chief Muraina Taiwo, who was at the meeting and spoke with The PUNCH in February, said that “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.
“They are thinking of submitting a few names but all will land at the table of the leader.”
Another top source in the APC in the state had also said, “Meranda will step down and Obasa will also step down. They will now pick someone else from Lagos West.
“Lagos West is the largest senatorial zone in Lagos. The lawmakers seem to have agreed, otherwise, there won’t be peace.
“Part of the understanding is that the case the man (Obasa) took to court, he will withdraw it as well.”
However, it is not certain if the resolution still subsists, or if Obasa would resign anytime soon.
The GAC member, Chief Muraina, when asked about it in a telephone interview on Monday, said it was left for Obasa to resign or not, adding that the party was, however, in support of his return to the House as Speaker.
Chief Muraina said, “The whole party is in support. You can see the resignation address of the former Speaker. She did it wholeheartedly and she abided by the decision of the party.”
When asked if Obasa would be resigning, he said, “That is his own personal decision, If he chooses to resign tomorrow, fine, if he insists on staying on the seat, it’s left to him.
“Resignation is not by force unless a directive comes from the party’s leadership. For now, I don’t see him resigning. The party has not decided that he should resign.”
Another GAC member, Anthony Adefuye, said the party had allowed peace to reign in the House.
He said the resolution of the leadership crisis was due to the intervention of many people.
“Many of us intervened. We are happy and glad that the whole thing has been settled. Let us allow peace.
“God has given us a President, let us also behave like people who have a President, and let the town be peaceful,” the GAC member said.
The APC Chairman in Lagos, Cornelius Ojelabi, commenting on the development in an interview with our correspondent, expressed satisfaction with the resolution of the House leadership crisis.
When asked about the resolution of the party that Obasa was to resign after Meranda, Cornelius said, “That (the current situation) is where the party resolved it for now. That’s where we resolved it.”
When quizzed further if Obasa would no longer be resigning, he said, “No, that’s where we resolved it. We just want peace in the House generally.
“The kind of harmonious relationship that existed among them before in the House, we want to try as much as possible to bring it back.”
In a statement released by the APC, signed by its spokesperson in the state, Seye Oladejo, the party congratulated Lagosians and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly and general members of the APC for finding an amicable solution to the rift within the House of Assembly.
Oladejo said the crux of the disagreement which had been mainly to draw the attention of the public and the party to intractable internal issues “stretched the well-tested and trusted internal conflict resolution mechanism of the party.”
He said, “As a truly democratic party, we refrained from needless interference in the affairs of the legislature whose independence we hold in high esteem.
“However, the House deferred to the party when the conflict festered and defied all suggestions for settlement.
“We want to put it on record that the members of the House officially briefed the party about the untoward development and requested wise counsel from the party just a few days ago.”
He said the party met with all the members and proffered practical solutions which were sacrificial, stabilising and in the best interest of the state.
“You may wish to note that our role remained basically advisory and could only be binding if upheld in the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly,” he added
Pending Suit
Obasa’s counsel, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), said the Lagos Speaker will be deciding on the withdrawal of the suit against the Assembly and Meranda.
Obasa had, earlier in February, dragged Meranda and the Assembly to court to challenge his removal by the lawmakers on January 13, 2025.
Obasa, in suit number ID/9047GCM/2025, filed before Justice Yetunde Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, is contesting the constitutionality of the sitting and proceedings during a recess, which occurred without him reconvening the House or delegating the authority to someone else.
On Friday, Justice Pinheiro fixed March 7, 2025, for the hearing of all pending applications on the matter.
When asked in a telephone interview on Monday if Obasa would discontinue the suit, following his official return as Speaker, his lawyer said, “Withdrawing the case still has to be at his instance.”
He added, “Just as you saw what transpired with respect to him coming back (to the House), he still has to formally brief us on what he wants us to do in terms of withdrawing the case. So, as of now, he has not gotten back to us.
“So maybe by tomorrow (Tuesday), we will have a meeting with him on how to proceed. Because I do not know the terms of his return, whether it was conditioned upon fulfilment of certain things or not.”
Lawmakers eulogise Meranda
Meanwhile, lawmakers have praised Meranda for heeding the directives of the APC and “letting go.”
They saluted her 49 days of leadership and wished her well in her future endeavours.
“The entire chamber is in tears. You have restored the spirit of friendship, comradeship, and loyalty to this House.
“We now have a renewed sense of belonging and an understanding that the party is supreme,” said lawmaker Temitope Adewale.
He added, “To my dear colleagues, this is not the end—this is Asiwaju’s House. Let’s not lose hope; things will change for the better.”
Another lawmaker, Tobun Abiodun, said, “You did very well, but as we know, we are politicians, and in politics, our party is supreme.
“We are proud party members, and our party has spoken. I thank the Deputy Speaker and everyone else affected. We are here to obey the party, and we are not ashamed of it. Madam Speaker, I pray for you—may God Almighty be with you.”
He added, “You have listened to the party and are willing to let go.”
The lawmaker representing Surulere, Desmond Elliot, could not control his emotion, as he asked not to speak, and almost burst into tears.
All other members commended Meranda for her unique leadership style, describing her as a dedicated and visionary lawmaker with a track record of selfless service and commitment to legislative excellence.
They expressed confidence in her ability to further strengthen the Assembly’s legislative agenda in her new role as Deputy Speaker.
Assembly security tightened
The Assembly complex was under heavy security surveillance before and after the plenary.
Operatives of the state police command, Lagos Neighbourhood Security Corps, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Department of State Services cordoned off the Assembly premises.
Earlier in the day, there was strict screening at the assembly gate with journalists denied entry until around 1 pm.
