Impeached Lagos Assembly Speaker, Obasa reinstated; Meranda steps down, renominated Deputy Speaker, others
Impeached Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt.Hon. Mudashiru Obasa has been reappointed by the lawmakers following the stepping down of Hon. Mojisola Meranda as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and re-nominated as the Deputy Speaker.
At the plenary session on Monday, Hon. Mojisola Meranda stepped down along with some principal officers including the Deputy Speaker of the House, Mojeed Fatai, who represents Ibeju-Lekki Constituency I, also announced his resignation as the deputy speaker of the House and was immediately re-elected as the Chief Whip of the Assembly.
Others include the Chief Whip of the Lagos State Assembly Hon. Setonji David representing Badagry constituency II and Okanlawon Sanni also tendered his resignation as the Deputy Chief Whip of the Lagos State House of Assembly and immediate nominations followed to replace them.
The ousted Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa who represents Agege Constituency I, after she stepped down was re-elected after nomination by a former Majority Leader of the House, Noheem Adams, who represents Eti-Osa Constituency 1.
Obasa who had earlier derided his impeachment as a joke, claiming it did not follow due process, subsequently took the oath of office as the new Speaker of the Assembly seven weeks after his removal.
The news of Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa’s return as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday sent shockwaves through the political landscape.
He was first elected into the House in 2007. He has been in the chamber since then. He emerged as a speaker in June 2015 before his removal in January 2025.
In his address after re-election, Obasa gave his word not to punish the over 30 state legislators who voted to oust him from office, describing them as his brothers and sisters.
The re-appointment and renomination respectively of Obasa and Meranda were announced at the House chamber on Monday thus ending weeks of internal wranglings that beset the assembly.
Meanwhile, after 48 days in office as Lagos Assembly Speaker, Meranda defended her stepping down, noting that she resigned to save the legislative body from further unnecessary conflicts.
Meranda explained that she remains committed to serving her constituency, Apapa 1, and described her brief tenure as historic, having been the first female speaker of the Lagos assembly.
“I will never stray from the well-established path of honour and dignity exemplified by my late father, the past Ojora of Lagos,” Meranda said.
“It is with full awareness of my resolve that I announce my decision to resign as speaker of the Lagos state house of assembly, effective March 3, 2025
“This decision was not made lightly; it came after careful deliberation, fully aware of the intrigues surrounding my election as speaker. We are the representatives of the good people of Lagos, entrusted with a mandate to protect our democracy.
“I have chosen to resign to uphold the integrity of this institution. I made history as the first female speaker of the Lagos state house of assembly and deeply cherished the solidarity freely offered to me during my tenure.
“I am sincerely grateful to each of you for your unwavering support throughout my brief time in office. As I step down from the position of speaker, I remain committed to serving the people of Apapa 1 constituency.
“I am not a quitter; I have taken this step to avoid further unnecessary conflict and embarrassment.
“The party’s decision is supreme, and at this juncture, I take a bow as speaker. Thank you all.”
Some members of the Assembly commended the leadership and legislative performance of Meranda, praising her diligence and impact within her short time in office.