- Leadership crisis in Lagos Assembly officially resolved following the resignation of Meranda and Obasa’s re-election
- Rumours suggested an agreement for Obasa’s resignation after 48 hours of reinstatement
- However, Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) denied claims that Obasa’s resignation was part of the crisis settlement
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has denied reports that the resignation of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa was part of the terms agreed upon during the resolution of the Lagos State House of Assembly leadership crisis.
Seye Oladejo, the APC spokesman in Lagos, dismissed the claim of Obasa’s impending resignation in a conversation with Vanguard on Tuesday, March 4. Oladejo clarified that there was no mention of such a condition in the terms of settlement during the negotiations.
“To the best of my knowledge, there was no time the arrangement for Obasa to resign came up in the terms of settlement of the crisis,” Oladejo said.
Meranda resigns, returns to deputy role in Lagos assembly
Meanwhile, Obasa, who was reinstated as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, held a meeting with fellow lawmakers on Tuesday.
The gathering, which took place at the Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja, aimed to reconcile with lawmakers who had been aggrieved following the leadership crisis.
The crisis had officially ended on Monday when the House re-elected Obasa as Speaker. The resolution followed the resignation of Mojisola Meranda as Speaker during Monday’s plenary session.
Meranda, who had briefly served as Speaker for 49 days, was re-elected as Deputy Speaker, a position she held before taking the top leadership role on January 13, 2025, after Obasa's removal.
APC denies agreement for Obasa’s resignation after re-election
Obasa’s re-election came after several interventions by APC leaders, including former governors Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba.
Speculation had circulated that Meranda would step down, allowing Obasa to return as Speaker, but that Obasa would also resign within 48 hours to make way for a new Speaker from Lagos West, as demanded by the 34 aggrieved lawmakers.
Sources indicated that the negotiations might be formalised in writing, with the anti-Obasa lawmakers seeking assurance that the arrangement would be followed through.
In response to these rumours, Oladejo clarified that there was no such agreement and when asked if Obasa would drop the lawsuit against his colleagues. Oladejo responded, “I’m aware that any moment from now, Obasa will withdraw the lawsuit in the interest of renewed peace and progress of the House in particular and the party in general.”
Obasa, Orji, 25 other ex-speakers of states’ houses of assembly that were impeached
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Mudashiru Obasa was removed as Speaker of the Lagos State Assembly after allegations of misconduct.
The impeachment added to the list of removed legislative heads, including leaders from Ondo, Edo, Ekiti, and Kebbi.