THE embattled Speaker Mudashiru Obasa has doubled down on his claim to the speakership of the Lagos State House of Assembly, insisting that Mojisola Meranda agreed to step down during a peace meeting with political leaders.
Obasa, who was removed in January, dismissed his ouster as invalid and declared that Meranda openly announced her resignation at a gathering attended by lawmakers and party leaders.
He said this when he appeared on Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“There was a meeting that took place in Marina where we had in attendance all the party leaders and all the members (of Lagos Assembly) and openly Meranda herself made a statement that she had stepped down and she had resigned.”
His remarks followed the withdrawal of security aides attached to Meranda by the Lagos State Police Command.
Obasa justified the move, arguing that once she resigned, it was expected that her security details would be removed.
“So, when you resign from an office, you know, the paraphernalia of the office will be taken away,” Obasa said.
However, the police later reversed the decision, announcing that Meranda’s security had been restored after what they described as a routine personnel audit.
“As I speak with you, the audit of the police personnel attached to Hon. Mojisola Meranda has been completed, and the police personnel attached to her from the Lagos State Police Command have been returned to her for her protection,” the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Moshood Jimoh, said during a briefing Thursday evening.
Obasa, who forcefully took over the Speaker’s office on Thursday with the backing of about four lawmakers and security operatives, continues to challenge his removal.
His attempt to reconvene a session was widely boycotted, with 36 out of 40 lawmakers standing firm behind Meranda.
“I have never been removed. I am not against removal, but it must follow the rules of the House and the Constitution,” he said.
The ICIR reported that the majority of the legislators reaffirmed their support for Meranda, insisting that she is the legitimate Speaker.
The lawmakers condemned Obasa’s attempt to reclaim the position, describing it as a desperate move to override the will of the majority.
The chairman of the House Committee on Information, Security, and Strategy, Steven Ogundipe, dismissed Obasa’s claims..
Speaking with reporters, Ogundipe stated that they remained committed to ensuring that Obasa’s removal stands.
“He was not elected as Speaker by his constituency. We endured his master-slave leadership for nearly a decade. Now, we’ve had enough, and we’re not backing down,” he stated.
The crisis in the Lagos Assembly has been ongoing since Obasa’s dramatic removal by two-thirds of the 40-member legislative House over alleged misconduct and sundry offences on January 13.
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.
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