After 49 days as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Meranda officially stepped down on Monday, paving the way for the return of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
Naija News understands that the leadership change follows weeks of political mediation led by former governors Bisi Akande and Olusegun Osoba, who were drafted by President Bola Tinubu to resolve the crisis that engulfed the Assembly since January 13, 2025, when Obasa was initially removed by over 30 lawmakers.
In efforts to restore stability, APC heavyweights, including Akande and Osoba, held multiple meetings with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), and lawmakers at Marina, Lagos.
A GAC member, Muraina Taiwo, disclosed to Punch in February that the mediators proposed a power-sharing arrangement, suggesting that both Obasa and Meranda step down to allow the emergence of a new Speaker from Lagos West Senatorial District.
“The APC leaders, including Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Olusegun Osoba, came to mediate. They will go back to Abuja to brief our leader (Tinubu) on their findings.
“They are suggesting to Speaker Obasa that he should step down, and Meranda should also step down, allowing a new person to emerge. Some names are being considered, but the final decision rests with our leader,” Taiwo revealed.
Meranda, Other Principal Officers Step Down
However, at the plenary session on Monday, Meranda formally resigned, citing the need to protect democracy and prevent further crises within the Assembly.
She emphasized that leadership requires selfless sacrifice, and stepping down was a necessary action to ensure stability.
“As leaders, we must always prioritize the collective good over personal interests,” she said in her resignation speech.
Following her decision, Deputy Speaker Mojeed Fatai and Chief Whip Okanlawon Sani also resigned from their positions.
Legal Case, Political Deals In The Background
A top APC source who spoke with Punch revealed that part of the agreement reached during mediation included Obasa withdrawing the lawsuit he filed against the Assembly over his removal.
“Meranda will step down, and Obasa will also step down. They will now pick someone else from Lagos West.
“The lawmakers seem to have agreed on this path, otherwise, there won’t be peace,” the source said.
However, it is not certain if the resolution still subsists, or if Obasa would resign anytime soon.
The GAC member, Taiwo, when asked about it in a telephone interview on Monday, said it was left for Obasa to resign or not, adding that the party was, however, in support of his return to the House as Speaker.
Chief Muraina said, “The whole party is in support. You can see the resignation address of the former Speaker. She did it wholeheartedly and she abided by the decision of the party.”
When asked if Obasa would be resigning, he said, “That is his own personal decision, If he chooses to resign tomorrow, fine, if he insists on staying on the seat, it’s left to him.
“Resignation is not by force unless a directive comes from the party’s leadership. For now, I don’t see him resigning. The party has not decided that he should resign.”
Another GAC member, Anthony Adefuye, said the party had allowed peace to reign in the House.
He said the resolution of the leadership crisis was due to the intervention of many people.
“Many of us intervened. We are happy and glad that the whole thing has been settled. Let us allow peace.
“God has given us a President, let us also behave like people who have a President, and let the town be peaceful,” the GAC member said.
The APC Chairman in Lagos, Cornelius Ojelabi, commenting on the development in an interview with Punch, expressed satisfaction with the resolution of the House leadership crisis.
When asked about the resolution of the party that Obasa was to resign after Meranda, Cornelius said, “That (the current situation) is where the party resolved it for now. That’s where we resolved it.”
When quizzed further if Obasa would no longer be resigning, he said, “No, that’s where we resolved it. We just want peace in the House generally.
“The kind of harmonious relationship that existed among them before in the House, we want to try as much as possible to bring it back.”
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