- Obasa's removal on January 13 was followed by the election of Meranda as the new Speaker, but tensions have escalated since
- Mudashiru Obasa declared his return as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly with State Security Service personnel accompanying him
- Security aides assigned to Speaker Mojisola Meranda were reportedly withdrawn
The ousted speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has declared that he has resumed his position as the parliament leader.
This announcement came on Thursday, February 27 after he returned to the parliament for the first time since his removal on January 13, accompanied by police and State Security Service personnel.
“I’ve resumed, and I remain the Speaker of the Assembly,” Obasa stated.
Meranda’s spokesperson expresses confusion over withdrawal of security
Reports revealed that all security aides assigned to Speaker Mojisola Meranda were withdrawn as of Thursday morning. Additionally, sources within Obasa’s camp confirmed that his own security aides had been restored.
An undisclosed source close to Meranda confirmed her vulnerability, saying,
“All the Speaker’s security aides have been withdrawn. All the security aides attached to the House of Assembly have also been withdrawn,” adding that “the speaker is now vulnerable.”
Meranda’s spokesperson, Ganzallo Victor, also confirmed the situation to The PUNCH, saying, “We don’t know why the authorities have done that but all the police officers and other security details attached to her have been withdrawn. She’s on her own at the moment.”
Tensions rise following Mudashiru Obasa’s removal
This development came after the intervention of prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) figures, including former governors Chief Bisi Akande of Osun and Aremo Olusegun Osoba of Ogun.
The mediation panel, led by Akande and Osoba, met last Sunday with key stakeholders, including members of the Governance Advisory Council, at the Governor’s Lodge in Marina.
Mudashiru Obasa had been removed from office on January 13, 2025, by a majority vote in the 40-member House over allegations of impropriety and high-handedness.
In the aftermath, Meranda was elected as the new Speaker, but tensions have continued to mount, with the situation escalating further on Thursday following the withdrawal of police escorts assigned to Meranda.
“No going back on lawsuit”: Obasa’s camp commits to legal battle for Lagos Assembly speakership
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Obasa’s legal team reaffirmed their intention to continue pursuing the lawsuit challenging his removal as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
According to the report, a court hearing was scheduled for February 28, 2025, and Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN) clarified that Obasa would not return to the Assembly until a court ruling was issued.