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The reinstated Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, met with lawmakers on Tuesday to reconcile with aggrieved colleagues following weeks of leadership turmoil, Punch newspaper reported.
The meeting, held at the Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja, came a day after Mr Obasa was re-elected as Speaker, ending a crisis that saw his removal on 13 January and the election of Mojisola Meranda as his replacement.
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PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Meranda, who served as Speaker for 49 days, resigned on Monday before being re-elected as Deputy Speaker, the position she previously held.
APC intervention and speculations on Obasa’s resignation
Mr Obasa’s reinstatement was the result of interventions by senior members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including former Governors Bisi Akande of Osun State and Olusegun Osoba of Ogun State.
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However, his return has not eased tensions within the House, as some lawmakers remain discontent with the process that led to his comeback.
The Tuesday meeting also took place amid speculations that Mr Obasa might resign.
However, a source close to the Speaker dismissed such claims, insisting that he would remain in office.
Similarly, Lagos APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi downplayed the speculation when asked about it.
Lawmakers express discontent
Despite being framed as a reconciliation meeting, some lawmakers said it failed to address their grievances.
“First, one of the reasons we removed him happened again—he arrived late for a meeting scheduled for 1:00 p.m., which eventually started at 2:30 p.m. There was no apology, just a passive acknowledgment that we were still unhappy with the way we were forced to bring him back,” one lawmaker, who spoke anonymously, told The PUNCH.
Another lawmaker revealed that discussions centred around a lawsuit filed against the House by the suspended Clerk, Olalekan Onafeko.
“The case comes up on Thursday, but our concern is that Obasa involved the Department of State Services (DSS), which led to the invitation and arrest of some of our colleagues,” the lawmaker said.
The lawmaker further disclosed that Mr Obasa’s reinstatement was not a unanimous decision but a concession made out of respect for party elders like Messrs Akande and Osoba.
“In our hearts and souls, we do not want him up till this moment,” the lawmaker added.
Push for Onafeko’s reinstatement
A source in Mr Obasa’s camp revealed that the Speaker is working towards reinstating Mr Onafeko as Clerk of the House, a move that some lawmakers strongly oppose.
“Obasa wants Onafeko back, but the lawmakers are adamant. However, some of them are beginning to reconsider. Let’s see how it goes,” the source said.
Mr Onafeko was suspended on 13 January, the same day Mr Obasa was removed.
He was replaced by Ottun Babatunde, who acted as Clerk during Monday’s plenary where Mr Obasa was reinstated.
In another development, Mr Onafeko said he remained committed to the court process but was open to a political resolution.
“Sometimes, you manage the situation—not because you don’t know what you’re doing, but for the sake of peace and the integrity of the institution,” he said.
Mr Onafeko has sued Mr Babatunde and the Assembly at the National Industrial Court, seeking redress.
Meanwhile, a judge of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, Yetunde Pinheiro, is expected to hear pending applications on 7 March.
While Mr Obasa’s reinstatement suggests he may withdraw his lawsuit against the Assembly, his lawyer, Afolabi Fashanu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said he had yet to receive instructions from his client regarding the case.
Obasa’s political comeback
Mr Obasa’s return marks one of the most dramatic political comebacks in Lagos State politics.
On 3 March, he was re-elected as Speaker, just weeks after 36 lawmakers voted him out over allegations of high-handedness, poor leadership, and financial mismanagement.
He had contested his removal, arguing it was unconstitutional since it occurred while he was abroad and during a legislative recess.
However, lawmakers loyal to Ms Meranda maintained that his removal was valid, having been executed by over a two-thirds majority.
Before Monday’s plenary, Mr Obasa, Ms Meranda, and other lawmakers met behind closed doors in a meeting attended by Lagos Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, and top APC leaders.
Obasa thanks APC, Meranda for the support
After taking the oath of office, Mr Obasa expressed gratitude to APC leaders and lawmakers for their support.
“What is happening here today shows that the Lagos State House of Assembly is a mature institution with the internal mechanisms to resolve its issues in the best interest of the institution and our party,” he said.
He also praised Ms Meranda for her loyalty, describing her as “very, very supportive.”
The Assembly adjourned indefinitely after the session.
Return to status quo
Ms Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency 1, officially resigned as Speaker during Monday’s plenary, making her tenure the shortest in Lagos Assembly history.
“I did not take this decision lightly,” she said in her resignation speech. “However, in deference to our esteemed political leaders, I have agreed to step down to preserve the integrity of this institution.”
READ ALSO: Lagos House of Assembly: Obasa returns as speaker, By Ehi Braimah
Following her resignation, Rauf Olawale, representing Amuwo Odofin Constituency 2, nominated her for Deputy Speaker, and she was sworn in after a motion was seconded by Abiodun Orekoya.
Mr Obasa’s return signals an end to a leadership crisis that threatened to divide the ruling APC and its Governance Advisory Council (GAC) in the state. Despite attempts to downplay the crisis as an internal matter, it exposed deeper rifts within the party.
