Osamagbe Imadiyi
In a startling move on Thursday, Mudashiru Obasa, the former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, returned to the House. On January 13, 2025, Obasa, who had been ousted as Speaker by 36 lawmakers, entered the Speaker’s Office at around nine in the morning accompanied by security guards. Following the leadership crisis that shook the Assembly since Obasa’s removal and his replacement by former Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda, it was reported that the move shocked many political stakeholders and the general public. The new development seems to throw the House into further confusion.
The development also suggests that the crisis may not have been resolved by the intervention of prominent All Progressives Congress chieftains, particularly former governors of Ogun and Osun states, Aremo Olusegun Osoba and Chief Bisi Akande, respectively. In an effort to resolve the Assembly crisis, Akande, Osoba, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and other party leaders reportedly met with members of the Governance Advisory Council at Marina as well as with House lawmakers. GAC members at the meeting were informed that the mediating panel, which was drafted by President Bola Tinubu, suggested that Meranda resign in order to make room for another lawmaker from the Lagos West Senatorial District to become Speaker after Obasa returned.
On Thursday, however, the roles were reversed when Obasa received new security escorts and Meranda’s security guards were abruptly removed. Later in the evening, the Lagos State Police Command confirmed in a press conference that Meranda’s security officials had been reinstated. The restoration was also verified by a source within the Assembly. Moshood Jimoh, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, explained the withdrawal by pointing to a personnel audit.
“The audit of the police officers assigned to Hon. Mojisola Miranda has been finished, and the form-armed police officers from the Nigeria State Police Command have been returned to her for her protection,” the commissioner stated Thursday night. It is important to note that the ongoing police personnel audit has been going on for a few days, and well-known figures have been following the procedure. Once more, the exercise is not directed or intended for any specific person,” he stated.
The police command denied rumors that the former Speaker’s security detail was reinstated to make it easier for him to return to office, stating that Obasa had also applied for security protection because of alleged threats to his life. The command also pleaded for composure, asking citizens to carry out their legal activities in a calm manner.
