Lagos Assembly: How Akande-led panel forced Meranda out, reinstated Obasa

At the plenary on Monday, other principal officers elected under Meranda also resigned from their positions, including Deputy Speaker, Mojeed Fatai, and Chief Whip, Okanlawon Sani.

Before the development, Obasa, Meranda and all the lawmakers had met with the leadership of the party in the state, led by the state Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi.

The state Attorney General, Lawal Pedro (SAN), was also at the meeting held outside the assembly chamber, before the plenary where Meranda officially resigned.

In her resignation speech, Meranda stated that her decision was made in the interest of democracy and to prevent further crises within the Assembly.

She emphasised that leadership required selfless sacrifice and that stepping down was necessary to maintain stability.

“I wish to let every one of you know that I have made a personal sacrifice towards resolving the leadership crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly.

“I recognise the role my family has played and continues to play in entrenching democracy, good governance, and the betterment of our people.

“I will never depart from the well-established path of honour, dignity, integrity, and service as personified by my late father,” she said.

The first female speaker in the history of the Assembly added, “I took this decision carefully and with firm consideration.

“On one hand, I accepted the position of Speaker on January 13, 2025, and on the other hand, I resigned the position as it is threatening the democracy of this House.

“I am not a quitter; however, I took this bold decision in order to save this legislative institution from further unnecessary conflict and embarrassment.

“Accordingly, I have agreed to yet again make a personal sacrifice by stepping down as the Speaker of this great Assembly.”

According to Meranda, the party is supreme.

“I sincerely thank you for your understanding and support, just as we know that party decisions are supreme,” she said.

Obasa, who took a fresh oath of office as the Speaker, pledged to Lagos residents that the assembly would continue to make laws for the progress of the state.

He appreciated the intervention of Akande and Osoba in resolving the crisis.

He said, “We want to assure Lagosians that we have resolved and determined to serve their interest and protect their interest always.

"Representing them is our main duty, and we have been doing just that. "What is taking place here today demonstrates the Lagos State House of Assembly's competence and integrity.
This house has a system in place to settle disputes in a way that benefits both our party and the organization. Instead of giving speeches today, I want to honor my coworkers and express my gratitude for everything they have been doing. I have no doubt that we will carry on working together in harmony, love, and peace.

The plenary was then adjourned indefinitely by Obasa. Obasa's resignation following his reelection as Speaker was one of the resolutions made by the Akande-led panel that met with the lawmakers at Marina, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and members of the Governance Advisory Council.

"The APC leaders, including Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Olusegun Osoba, came to mediate," said Chief Muraina Taiwo, a GAC member who attended the meeting and spoke in February. To let our leader (Tinubu) know how they feel about everything, they will return to Abuja. They are proposing to Speaker Obasa that he resign, along with the other woman, Meranda, and that they replace him with someone else.

Obasa responded, "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," when asked if he would be leaving.

"Unless instructed by the party's leadership, resignation is not enforced. I don't see him quitting right now. His resignation has not been decided by the party.
Anthony Adefuye, another GAC member, claimed that the party had permitted harmony to prevail in the House.
He claimed that numerous people's actions were responsible for the leadership crisis' resolution. Many of us stepped in. The fact that everything has been resolved makes us happy. Let's permit peace.
The GAC member stated, "God has given us a President; let us act like people who have a President and let the town be peaceful."

In an interview with our correspondent, the APC Chairman in Lagos, commented on the development and said he was happy that the House leadership crisis had been resolved.
They are considering sending in a few names, but everyone will end up at the leader's table.
"Meranda will step down and Obasa will step down," according to another high-ranking APC official in the state. They will now choose another Lagos West resident. The largest senatorial zone in Lagos is called Lagos West. There won't be peace unless the lawmakers have agreed.

"As part of the agreement, the man (Obasa) will also withdraw the case he filed in court. But it's unclear if the resolution is still in place or if Obasa will step down anytime soon. In a phone interview on Monday, GAC member Chief Muraina responded that it was up to Obasa to decide whether or not to step down, but that the party supported his return to the House as Speaker.

"The entire party is in support," Chief Muraina stated. You can view the former Speaker's resignation speech. She fully committed to it and followed the party's decision. ".

Cornelius responded, "That (the current situation) is where the party resolved it for now," in response to a question concerning the party's decision that Obasa would step down following Meranda.

We were able to resolve it there. Obasa responded, "No, that's where we resolved it," when asked if he would no longer be resigning.
All we want is general peace in the House. "We want to make every effort to restore the kind of cordial relationship that existed between them in the House before.

In a statement issued by the APC and signed by Seye Oladejo, its state spokesperson, the party commended Lagos residents, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, and APC general members for resolving the dispute in the House of Assembly in a cordial manner.

According to Oladejo, the main goal of the dispute was to highlight unresolvable internal problems, which "stretched the well-tested and trusted internal conflict resolution mechanism of the party.". He declared,

"As a genuinely democratic party, we avoided needless meddling in the legislative branch's operations, whose independence we greatly respect.". But when the dispute raged and rejected all proposals for a resolution, the House gave in to the party.

The members of the House have officially documented that they briefed the party regarding the unfortunate development and sought the party's wise counsel just a few days prior.

He stated that the party convened with all members and offered practical solutions that were both sacrificial and stabilizing, aimed at serving the best interests of the state.

"It is important to emphasize that our role has primarily been advisory and can only become binding if ratified within the esteemed chamber of the House of Assembly," he further noted.

Obasa's Legal Matter Ongoing

Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), counsel for Obasa, indicated that the Speaker of Lagos will soon make a decision regarding the withdrawal of the lawsuit against the Assembly and Meranda.

Earlier in February, Obasa initiated legal action against Meranda and the Assembly to contest his removal by the lawmakers on January 13, 2025.

In case number ID/9047GCM/2025, filed before Justice Yetunde Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, Obasa is challenging the constitutionality of the sitting and proceedings that took place during a recess, which occurred without his reconvening the House or delegating authority to another individual.

On Friday, Justice Pinheiro scheduled a hearing for all outstanding applications regarding the matter for March 7, 2025.

In a telephone interview on Monday, when inquired whether Obasa would withdraw the lawsuit following his official reinstatement as Speaker, his attorney stated, “The decision to withdraw the case ultimately rests with him.”

He further remarked, “As you observed regarding his return to the House, he must formally inform us of his intentions concerning the withdrawal of the case. At this moment, we have not received any communication from him.

“Perhaps by tomorrow (Tuesday), we will convene with him to discuss the next steps. I am uncertain about the conditions of his return and whether it is contingent upon the fulfillment of specific requirements.”

Lawmakers Honor Meranda

In the meantime, lawmakers have commended Meranda for adhering to the directives of the APC and “letting go.”

They acknowledged her 49 days of leadership and extended their best wishes for her future endeavors.

“The entire chamber is in tears. You have revitalized the spirit of friendship, camaraderie, and loyalty within this House.

“We now possess a renewed sense of belonging and an understanding that the party holds the utmost authority,” stated lawmaker Temitope Adewale.

He continued, “To my esteemed colleagues, this is not the conclusion—this is Asiwaju’s House. Let us maintain our hope