Lagos Assembly Showdown: Tinubu’s Orders Snubbed as Meranda Holds Power

The leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly has intensified following the removal of former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. The Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos has reportedly defied President Bola Tinubu’s directive to reinstate him.

After a deadlocked meeting with lawmakers, GAC leaders met with Tinubu to discuss the ongoing leadership tussle. Despite the president’s alleged order for Obasa’s reinstatement, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda remains the substantive Speaker, backed by a majority of the Assembly.

On January 13, 2025, 32 out of 40 Assembly members impeached Obasa in absentia, citing allegations of financial misappropriation, misconduct, and high-handedness. However, his removal has triggered a power struggle within the APC, with key figures in Tinubu’s camp opposing the decision.

In an emergency meeting on Monday at Lagos House, Marina, the GAC, led by Pa Tajudeen Olusi, sought to resolve the crisis. Lawmakers from Lagos West, expected to push for a new Speaker to balance the state’s political structure, instead threw their full support behind Meranda, rejecting efforts to remove her.

Sources revealed that Tinubu, displeased with the outcome, instructed the GAC to reinstate Obasa temporarily before electing a new Speaker. However, conservative GAC members, led by Olusi, resisted the directive, deepening divisions within the party.

Amid rising tensions, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been accused of covertly opposing Obasa’s reinstatement, despite publicly maintaining neutrality. Reports suggest he encouraged lawmakers to stand firm, fueling speculation about a shifting power dynamic in Lagos politics.

With the crisis unresolved, the GAC has escalated the matter to Abuja for further deliberation, setting the stage for a high-stakes political showdown.