THE suspended speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has declared that he had resumed office as the leader of the parliament.

Obasa made the declaration on Thursday, February 27, after making his way back into the Assembly complex for the first time since his removal on January 13, according to Punch Newspaper.

The embattled lawmaker arrived at the complex around noon, flanked by security officials, and proceeded straight to the Speaker’s office.

“I’ve resumed, and I remain the Speaker of the Assembly,” Obasa was quoted to have said.

Following his return, Segun Ajiboye, Chief Press Secretary to Mojisola Meranda, Deputy Speaker who took over when Obasa was removed, confirmed the development to Punch, alleging that Obasa and his team had forcefully entered the office.

Obasa’s supporters also gathered at the Assembly complex, holding placards and chanting songs in his favour, with viral videos capturing the scene at the entrance of the legislative building.

This development was on the heels of the withdrawal of security details attached to Speaker Meranda earlier in the day. 

According to reports, police officers assigned to her were no longer on duty as of Thursday morning. Reports further indicated that Obasa’s security details were reinstated. 

Meranda’s fate now hangs in the balance amid the unfolding political power struggle in the Lagos Assembly.

Following his removal, Meranda made history as the first female speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly after a unanimous election.

The Lagos State House of Assembly has been adjourned indefinitely since her ascension to the speakership.

The ICIR reported on January 13 that Obasa, who had served for nearly 10 years as the state speaker, from June 2015 to January 2025, was suspended by more than two-thirds of the 40-member legislative House over alleged misconduct and sundry offences.

However, during a welcome rally at his residence in GRA, Ikeja, held on Saturday, January 25, Obasa declared that he remained the speaker despite his replacement by his deputy.

He later challenged his suspension in court.

Obasa filed a suit against the Assembly and the new speaker at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, arguing that his suspension was improper since the Assembly was in recess at the time.

Attempts to confirm the withdrawal of security details attached to the Lagos speaker were not successful, as the Lagos Police Command spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, did not pick up his call nor respond to messages sent to his phone by The ICIR.

Mustapha USMAN

Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M