Embattled Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mojisola Meranda has firmly stated that her predecessor, Mudashiru Obasa, cannot reclaim the position.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Meranda emphasized that while Obasa remains a member of the Assembly with the right to attend plenary sessions, his attempt to seize back leadership is unacceptable.
“The removed Speaker is still a member of the House of Assembly, so he has every right to come, but the invasion and breaking into my office is a big one,” she stated.
Obasa was impeached in January while he was in the United States, paving the way for Meranda’s appointment as the first female Speaker of the Lagos State Assembly. However, upon his return, Obasa dismissed his impeachment as invalid, insisting due process was not followed.
The situation escalated on Thursday when Meranda’s security details were reportedly withdrawn, and Obasa’s security was reinstated. Obasa then entered the Assembly complex, took over the Speaker’s office, and presided over a plenary session with a few members, declaring himself the rightful Speaker.
In response, Meranda dismissed his actions as illegitimate, stating, “That was just a show of shame because in our job we have numbers that form a quorum. So if you are sitting with three or four members, you are only doing a theatre.”
The Lagos High Court in Ikeja has since ordered that all Assembly members be included in the lawsuit filed by Obasa challenging his removal.
With legal proceedings underway, the leadership crisis within the Lagos State House of Assembly remains unresolved.
