In a dramatic turn of events, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa over multiple allegations of fraud.
The impeachment occurred during a plenary session on Monday, with the Clerk of the House, Mr. Olalekan Onafeko, also suspended indefinitely. Mr. Mojeed Fatai, the Chief Whip, has been elected as the new Deputy Speaker.
The Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, was sworn in as the new Speaker, making her the first female Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. The specifics of the allegations against Obasa and the details surrounding his removal are yet to be fully disclosed.
Speaking on the development, Abiodun Tobun, a lawmaker representing Epe Constituency 1, remarked, “It is only death that is constant, so change is inevitable. The members of the House felt we had had enough of the leadership of Mudashiru Obasa. We unanimously agreed that Hon. Mojisola Meranda would become the new Speaker.”
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Obasa had recently faced accusations of spending ₦17 billion on constructing a gate, which he dismissed as “spurious and laughable,” attributing the allegations to political motivations ahead of the 2027 elections. He stated, “How much is the allocation of the Assembly in a whole year for anyone to claim we spent ₦17 billion on a gate? We are aware that such baseless claims will arise as elections approach.”
Obasa, a sixth-term lawmaker from Agege Constituency I under the All Progressives Congress (APC), had a tenure marked by controversies and allegations of financial mismanagement. His leadership style had also reportedly strained relations with the executive arm, including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Mojisola Meranda, representing Apapa 1 constituency, took her oath of office following Obasa’s impeachment. Born into the prominent Lawal-Akapo family of Lagos, Meranda’s educational and professional background spans various sectors, including public administration, technology, and health.
Meranda’s political journey began with the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD), evolving through the Action Congress (AC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). She has held various positions in the Lagos State House of Assembly, including Chair of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and Chief Whip in the 9th Assembly.
Her leadership comes at a critical time for the Lagos State Assembly, as tensions had recently escalated over budget presentations and the screening of governor-nominated commissioners, leading to intervention by President Bola Tinubu and the Governance Advisory Council to prevent a significant executive-legislative clash.
Meranda’s appointment as Speaker is seen as a move to stabilize the Assembly and foster better relations between the legislative and executive arms of the state government.
