A fresh crisis has erupted in the Lagos State House of Assembly as lawmakers have openly rejected the reinstatement claims of impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, calling his return a “charade” and an “embarrassment.”
Addressing journalists at the Assembly Complex on Thursday, the lawmakers reaffirmed their loyalty to Speaker Mojisola Meranda and demanded respect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership amid the ongoing power struggle.
Speaking on behalf of the lawmakers, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, Stephen Ogundipe, said, “This is Lagos, and this is the Lagos State House of Assembly. Our leaders urged us to remain calm and handle things carefully, but we are shocked by today’s events.”
In a video, he continued, “We are still waiting for them to explain where we went wrong. We won’t take the law into our own hands, just as I advised the staff not to. But we all represent different constituencies and hold our mandates. Whatever happens, the leadership should address us directly, not this charade we are witnessing.”
The lawmaker also expressed outrage over their treatment at the Assembly gate, describing the situation as disrespectful.
“We are not happy. We are shocked to see what is happening despite that this is Lagos. This is the centre of excellence. This is where everything starts and stops. We are law-abiding. We have not done anything against the state or against anybody.
“But we also want to be respected, to be given our dignity, to be shown that we are elected. So I am unhappy with the leadership of our party that we cannot continue this way.
“They have taken us to court. And it is for us to let the process follow its due course. But what we are seeing today is a charade. It’s uncalled for. It is an embarrassment because, for me to even enter the gate, I was stopped.”
The controversy deepened on Thursday when Obasa stormed the Assembly Complex under heavy security, accompanied by police officers and operatives of the State Security Service (SSS).
“I’ve resumed, and I remain the Speaker of the Assembly,” Obasa declared upon his arrival, dismissing his earlier impeachment.
Earlier reports indicated that Obasa’s security details, which were withdrawn following his removal, had been reinstated, while the security aides assigned to Speaker Mojisola Meranda were taken away, raising concerns for her safety.
Sources within Meranda’s camp confirmed that Obasa arrived at the Assembly complex accompanied by thugs and armed policemen, further escalating tensions.
“Yes, Obasa is currently at the complex with thugs and armed policemen. We are monitoring his actions, but all signs suggest he is attempting to illegally reinstate himself,” a source said.
The crisis follows a recent ruling by the National Industrial Court in Lagos, which sacked the acting Clerk of the House, Ottun Babatunde—appointed by Speaker Meranda—and ordered the reinstatement of Olalekan Onafeko, the former clerk under Obasa.
This ruling has further intensified the already volatile power struggle within the Assembly, with Obasa—who was removed while on a trip to the US—refusing to accept his ouster.
As the battle for control of the Lagos Assembly escalates, lawmakers are urging the APC leadership to address their concerns directly instead of allowing what they describe as a political charade to continue.
“We have said it clearly, we are not against the leadership’s decision, but they should call us and tell us to our face and not let us hear rumours,” another lawmaker stated.
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