Obasa presides over Lagos Assembly amid lawmakers’ rejection

Mudashiru Obasa, embattled ex-speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, presided over a plenary session on Thursday with only about four lawmakers in attendance.

The session presided by Obasa took place after security operatives allegedly forced open the Chamber’s doors, granting Obasa and his loyalists access to his office and the Assembly chamber.

The crisis in the Lagos Assembly stems from the January 13 removal of former Obasa, who was ousted by 36 out of 40 members of the Assembly.

Following his removal, Mojisola Meranda was elected as the substantive speaker.

Thirty-six lawmakers boycotted the session on Thursday to demonstrate their loyalty to Mojisola Meranda, whom they had elected to replace Obasa him in January.

While Obasa and the other lawmakers were holding a plenary, some lawmakers were seen outside the premises discussing the situation.

The lawmakers later gathered at the Assembly’s garden, reaffirmed their February 17 vote of confidence in Meranda, despite Obasa’s return, which was reportedly aided by armed men and suspected political thugs.

A lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity, insisted that the Assembly would not recognise Obasa’s leadership.

“He was not elected as speaker by his constituency. For nearly a decade, we endured his authoritarian style of leadership. Enough is enough, and we are not backing down,” the lawmaker declared.

Meanwhile, Ayinde Akinsanya (Mushin Constituency I) and Noheem Adams (Mushin Constituency II) were among those seen accompanying Obasa into the Assembly complex.

Earlier in the day, accompanied by heavily armed men, Obasa had stormed the Assembly complex in a bold move that caused commotion within and outside the State’s legislature complex.

He broke into the Speaker’s office amid cheers by his supporters, many who had besieged the Assembly gate.

Access roads leading to the Assembly were also blocked by individuals said to be Obasa’s supporters, who arrived in unmarked buses, forcing motorists to seek alternative routes.

Sources revealed that Kayode Egbetokun, inspector general of police, (IGP) ordered the withdrawal of all Security operatives attached to Meranda, leaving her exposed in the midst of an intensifying power struggle.

Confirming the shocking withdrawal of security aides to Meranda, Victor Ganzallo, the Speaker’s special adviser on information, told BusinessDay that the situation was dangerous, while raising concerns over the security vacuum created by the withdrawal of personnel.

“In the early hours of Thursday, we woke up to the startling news that all security details assigned to Madam Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, had been withdrawn. This includes the police and DSS officers, leaving her exposed to threats amid the ongoing speakership crisis,” the aide disclosed.

The aide further appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as the State’s chief security officer, to intervene urgently to prevent a potential breakdown of law and order.

The crisis escalated further on Wednesday when Olalekan Onafeko, the former and suspended clerk of the House, attempted to resume duty at the Assembly complex. However, he was politely turned away by Security personnel.

Onafeko, who was removed alongside former Speaker Obasa on January 13, allegedly arrived at the complex around 9 a.m., accompanied by his lawyer, two Security personnel, and unidentified DSS operatives, in an attempt to reclaim his office.

A viral video captured Assembly staff booing and jeering at Onafeko, chanting unfavorable slogans as he was escorted out of the premises.

In response to the incident, the management of the Lagos State House of Assembly, through a statement signed by Kushoro Idowu, chief security officer, condemned the development.

The crisis leadership crisis in the Lagos Assembly has escalated in recent weeks with Obasa refusing to give up his position.

Despite interventions from President Bola Tinubu, the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Governor Sanwo-Olu, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) efforts to resolve the leadership dispute have so far yielded no positive results.

In recent weeks, there were reports that the Presidency wanted Obasa to return as Speaker and resign in a bid to give him soft landing.

After that, a lawmaker from Lagos West Senatorial District would be elected to the position of Speaker for Regional balance of power in Lagos State.

Stakeholders however have called for immediate action to restore order and ensure the safety of speaker Meranda and the Assembly complex staff and lawmakers.

Lagos lawmakers reject Obasa

Meanwhile, the lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly have categorically rejected Obasa’s claim to the Speakership, insisting that his impeachment remains valid.

Speaking on behalf of the lawmakers, Steven Ogundipe, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Security, and Strategy, expressed shock at Obasa’s actions and reaffirmed the Assembly’s position.

“This is the Lagos State House of Assembly. We were urged by our leaders to remain calm, but today’s events are beyond comprehension. We are still waiting for them to explain where we went wrong,” Ogundipe stated.

He emphasised that the lawmakers would not resort to unlawful actions but deserve respect and due process.

“We have our mandates from different constituencies. Before any decision of this magnitude is made, proper dialogue should take place—not this charade we are witnessing,” he said.

Describing the situation as an ‘embarrassment,’ Ogundipe called on the party leadership to intervene.

“We cannot continue like this. The matter is already in court, and we should allow due process to take its course. What we are witnessing today is unacceptable and must stop.

“We are not opposing the leadership’s decision, but they should address us directly instead of allowing speculation and rumours to dictate the narrative,” he added.