The embattled Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, has dismissed concerns over the occupation of the Speaker’s office by ousted Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, insisting that the development does not hinder her from performing her duties.
Speaking through her Special Adviser on Information, Victor Ganzallo, on Sunday, Meranda stated that Obasa’s return to the office does not affect her position as the legitimate Speaker of the Assembly.
Obasa’s Dramatic Return to the Assembly Complex
Obasa, who was removed as Speaker on January 13, 2025, made a surprise return to the Lagos State House of Assembly complex last Thursday.
Accompanied by security operatives, he entered the Speaker’s office around 9 a.m. and proceeded to hold a plenary session with only four lawmakers—an action widely rejected by 35 other members of the House.
Naijaonpoint recalls that lawmakers had previously removed Obasa, citing abuse of office, financial misappropriation, and misconduct. His removal triggered a leadership crisis in the 10th Assembly, which has since worsened.
Obasa, however, continues to insist that he remains the Speaker, arguing that his removal was unconstitutional and unprocedural.
Meranda: “Obasa’s Plenary Was a Show of Shame”
Reacting to Obasa’s return, Meranda described his actions as a “show of shame”, maintaining that his attempt to reclaim the Speaker’s seat was illegitimate.
“The removed Speaker… I think he is still a member of the Assembly, so he has every right to come, but the invasion and breaking into my office, that’s really a big one,” she said after a court hearing in Ikeja.
On Obasa’s plenary session with four lawmakers, Meranda remarked: “To me, 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 theatre.”
Meranda’s Camp Stands Firm
Despite Obasa’s takeover of the Speaker’s office, Meranda’s camp remains resolute.
Her Special Adviser on Information, Victor Ganzallo, dismissed concerns over Obasa’s actions, emphasizing that it is the support of lawmakers—not occupation of the office—that determines leadership.
“The case is in court. And you saw the reaction of the 35 members who are still standing their ground that he (Obasa) is not their Speaker and that Meranda is their Speaker,” Ganzallo told The PUNCH.
When asked about Meranda’s ability to function without access to the office, Ganzallo said: “The office is a place where you work. (But) outside your office, you can work. It is not sitting in the Speaker’s office that confers leadership on her; it’s by the pronouncement of the members who constitute the House.”
APC Struggles to Mediate as Crisis Deepens
Despite interventions by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to resolve the leadership crisis, tensions remain high.
A mediation panel led by Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, initiated by President Bola Tinubu, has failed to broker peace between the two factions.
The Lagos APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, assured that a resolution was imminent, stating: “We will resolve the matter in a matter of days. The party has the capacity to resolve the issue. It’s an internal affair. They are all products of the party.”
GAC Faults Lawmakers for Not Consulting Party Before Obasa’s Removal
The Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the Lagos APC, criticized the lawmakers for removing Obasa without consulting the party.
The GAC Chairman, Chief Tajudeen Olusi, revealed that neither the party nor the GAC was involved in the decision.
“The lawmakers carried it out without consulting the party and those of us in the GAC. That is our position,” Olusi told reporters.
He emphasized that lawmakers do not have absolute power to remove and install leaders without input from the party.
“Nobody can become a member of the House of Assembly unless sponsored by a political party, and the sponsors are the inspectors,” he stated.