The ongoing leadership turmoil in the Lagos State House of Assembly took a significant turn as new efforts to reinstate Mr. Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker emerged.
The crisis began on January 13, 2025, when 32 lawmakers voted to remove Obasa and former Clerk Olalekan Onafeko, appointing Mrs. Mojisola Meranda as the new Speaker.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the Presidency and key figures involved in the crisis have made fresh appeals to legislators to ease their opposition and support Obasa’s reinstatement.
It has also been reported that members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) are being urged to influence anti-Obasa lawmakers to switch their allegiance.This move follows the disbandment of the Bisi Akande committee, which had been tasked with addressing the turmoil.
The committee was reportedly dissolved after its findings indicated that Obasa had little chance of returning to his position.
The President had initially established a high-level party committee, led by Bisi Akande, to address the ongoing issue, but following the committee’s disbanding, GAC members were directed to encourage their loyalists in both the Assembly and the State Executive Council to support Obasa’s comeback.
Meanwhile, Obasa has been actively seeking to win over lawmakers who opposed him to gain their backing.As per inside sources from the presidency, if efforts to consolidate support for Obasa do not succeed, party leaders are contemplating letting the courts determine the rightful Speaker.
While the Assembly members are solidly behind Meranda, the president is reportedly insisting on Obasa’s reinstatement, leading to a potential judicial resolution of the matter.
The former Speaker has already taken legal action against Meranda, the Assembly, and 36 lawmakers, arguing that his removal was unlawful.
