The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, has condemned the Thursday plenary held by ousted speaker Mudashiru Obasa, calling it a “show of shame” as only four members were in attendance.
The crisis rocking the Assembly took a new dimension on Thursday when Obasa made a dramatic return and presided over a “plenary session” with only four lawmakers in attendance.
But the remaining 36 lawmakers insisted that Obasa was gone, saying their loyalty remained with Meranda.
This development came despite the suit filed by Obasa against his removal on January 13.
Obasa, a sixth-time lawmaker representing Agege constituency I, was removed for alleged gross misconduct and abuse of office on January 13, 2025 while Meranda, representing Apapa I, was elected as speaker, a development that has since polarised the assembly and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State; the country home of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Meranda has been under pressure to vacate the office following President Tinubu’s alleged displeasure with the removal of Obasa.
A flurry of activities over the festering crisis in the 40-member legislative house culminated in the return of Obasa amidst opposition by the majority of the lawmakers.
News broke early Thursday that Meranda’s security details had been withdrawn while those of Obasa were restored paving the way for his return.
However, before the end of Thursday, the security aides of Meranda were restored.
Moments after, Obasa stormed the assembly with heavy security, with hundreds of his supporters stationed around the premises of the House singing and dancing to celebrate the return of their principal.
He then presided over a plenary with only four lawmakers after security operatives reportedly forced open the chamber doors to allow Obasa and his supporters access.
He was accompanied by Hon. Nuraini Akinsanya (Mushin 1), Hon. Kazeem Olayinka Eso (Mushin 11), Hon. Jubreel Kareem (Agege II) and Hon. Noheem Adams (Eti-Osa I).
On Friday, the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja ordered that all members of the Lagos House of Assembly be joined as parties in the suit filed by the ousted speaker.
Justice Yetunde Pinheiro has also adjourned till March 7 to hear all pending applications in the matter.
35 lawmakers backing Meranda as the speaker had arrived at the Court for the hearing of a matter.
In the application dated February 12, 2025, and filed by his lawyer, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), the plaintiff claimed that he was removed from his position on January 13, 2025, by 36 lawmakers while he was out of the country.
The lawsuit, filed on February 14, named the Assembly and Meranda as defendants.
At today’s proceeding, members of the assembly loyal to Meranda, filed an application seeking to be joined as defendants in the suit.
Speaking on the plenary reportedly conducted by Obasa after the court sitting on Friday, Meranda said a quorum must be formed for a plenary to hold, saying anything other than that amounts to a theatre.
“I think, to me, that was just a show of shame because in our job, we have numbers that form quorum. So, if you are sitting with three or four members, you are only doing theatre,” she said.
She also condemned Obasa’s “invasion” into the assembly.
“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,” Meranda said.
She disclosed that her security details withdrawn on Thursday have not been fully restored.
“I have three or four policemen (presently), but my normal security team are twelve policemen, four DSS operatives, and two anti-bomb . But I don’t have that,” the speaker said.
On the ongoing litigation, she pleaded that the legal team should allowed to do their job.
