By Ayo Kehinde
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have firmly rejected claims by impeached Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, that he remains the leader of the state legislature.
Obasa stormed the Assembly complex on Thursday, accompanied by heavy security operatives, and declared himself as the legitimate Speaker.
“I have resumed, and I remain the Speaker of the Assembly. I have never been removed. Impeachment or removal is democratic and constitutional, but in doing that, due process must be followed. I am not against it. If I oppose that, then I am not democratic,” Obasa told journalists at the Assembly complex.
Obasa, presided over a plenary session on Thursday with only four lawmakers in attendance.
The session took place after security operatives allegedly forced open the chamber doors, granting Obasa and his loyalists access.
As of 3 pm, the plenary was ongoing, but over 26 lawmakers boycotted the session in what appeared to be a show of support for the substantive Speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
.However, in a swift reaction, lawmakers reaffirmed that Obasa’s impeachment stands.
Speaking on behalf of the Assembly, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Security, and Strategy, and member representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 1, Steven Ogundipe, expressed shock at Obasa’s actions and reiterated the House’s support for Mojisola Meranda as the legitimate Speaker.
Ogundipe stressed that lawmakers would not resort to unlawful actions but deserve respect and adherence to due process. He urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos to step in and resolve the leadership crisis.
“This is the Lagos State House of Assembly. We were urged by our leaders to remain calm, but today’s events defy logic. We are still waiting for them to explain where we erred.
“We have our mandates from different constituencies. Before any decision of this magnitude is made, proper dialogue should take place—not this charade we are witnessing,” he said.
Describing the development as an “embarrassment,” Ogundipe called on party leaders to intervene.
“We cannot continue like this. The matter is already in court, and we should allow due process to take its course. What we are witnessing today is unacceptable and must stop.
“We are not opposing the leadership’s decision, but they should address us directly instead of allowing speculation and rumours to dictate the narrative,” he added.
Meranda emerged as the first female Speaker of the Lagos Assembly on January 13, following Obasa’s impeachment.
However, Obasa has continued to challenge the legitimacy of his removal, insisting that due process was not followed and that he remains the rightful Speaker.
Earlier, Meranda’s Special Adviser on Information, Victor Ganzallo, warned that the Speaker is now “vulnerable and open to attack.”
