JUST IN! Lagos Assembly Crisis: Meranda Retains Speakership as President Tinubu Maintains Status Quo
Strong indications emerged on Wednesday that President Bola Tinubu may have finally stepped back from the ongoing crisis surrounding the Lagos State House of Assembly speakership following intense pressure from influential personalities and concerned citizens.
The leadership of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) of the Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) had dispatched a high-powered delegation to Abuja to brief Tinubu on the outcome of its meeting with 39 members of the Lagos State House of Assembly. The meeting, which was moderated by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, aimed to resolve the leadership crisis that had divided the party.
However, the GAC delegation was unable to meet with the President in person, as he was preoccupied with state matters and preparations for an official visit to France. Instead, the matter was reportedly settled via a telephone conversation, where it was decided that the status quo would remain, allowing Mojisola Lasbat Meranda to continue as Speaker.
The crisis began when former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa was removed in absentia by 32 out of 40 members of the Assembly on January 13, 2025. His removal, based on allegations of financial misappropriation, misconduct, and high-handedness, was met with mixed reactions from the GAC, party faithful, and the general public. Obasa’s deputy, Meranda, was immediately installed as Speaker, a move that reportedly displeased President Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
The GAC, led by Pa Tajudeen Olusi, convened an emergency meeting on Monday with the lawmakers in a bid to resolve the crisis. During the meeting, the majority of lawmakers reaffirmed their support for Meranda’s leadership.
Despite Tinubu’s reported preference for a Speaker from Lagos West—citing the need for regional balance since both the Governor and Speaker hail from Lagos Central—lawmakers rejected the proposal. Approximately 20 lawmakers from Lagos West, despite offers of strategic political concessions, declined to challenge Meranda’s leadership, insisting that the legislative arm should function independently in line with Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES developmental agenda.
With the President backing down and the GAC unable to overturn the Assembly’s decision, Meranda’s position as Speaker appears secure, at least for now. This outcome underscores a shift in political dynamics within the Lagos APC, highlighting the Assembly’s growing autonomy in governance matters.
