Impeached seaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa has returned to the Speaker’s office on Thursday as crisis rocking the house lingers.
Obasa, accompanied by armed men, gained access to the office following the withdrawal of security aides assigned to the substantive Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda.
Obasa, in his address on Thursday stated that he has resumed his position as the parliament leader.
“I’ve resumed, and I remain the Speaker of the Assembly,” Obasa said.
DAILY GIST recalls that the Inspector General of Police, IGP, had ordered the withdrawal of all security details assigned to Speaker Mojisola Meranda.
The development, which comes amid a leadership tussle within the Assembly, has left the Speaker vulnerable to potential attacks.
An aide to the Speaker told Vanguard that security personnel, including police officers and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), were withdrawn on Thursday morning without any replacement.
“In the early hours of Thursday, we woke up to the startling news that all security details assigned to Madam Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, had been withdrawn.
This includes the police and DSS officers, leaving her exposed to threats amid the ongoing speakership crisis,” the aide disclosed.
The aide further appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as the state’s Chief Security Officer, to intervene urgently to prevent a potential breakdown of law and order.
Over the weekend, prominent APC figures — including former National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande, ex-Governor of Osun State Chief Olusegun Osoba, former Commissioner for Justice Dr. Muiz Banire, members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), and several lawmakers — met to address the tensions within the House.
During the meeting, insiders revealed that party leaders instructed lawmakers to reinstate Obasa, declaring his impeachment unlawful.
“In truth, what they said was that Obasa’s removal was illegal and the lawmakers were directed at the meeting to go and return him,” a source familiar with the situation shared.
While the date for the House’s next sitting remains uncertain, signs point to Obasa reclaiming the speakership once the Assembly reconvenes.
