Power Struggle in Lagos Assembly: Speaker Meranda Presides Amid Leadership Uncertainty
Political tensions continue to simmer in the Lagos State House of Assembly as Mojisola Meranda, the incumbent speaker, presided over Monday’s plenary amid swirling rumors of pressure to step down.
Her leadership remains under scrutiny following a closed-door meeting between Mudashiru Obasa, the ousted speaker, and key political figures, including Lawal Pedro, the Lagos attorney general, and Cornelius Ojelabi, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos.
Security was tight around the assembly complex during the session, as operatives were deployed to prevent any disruption of proceedings.
Obasa’s re-emergence has added fuel to the political turmoil. On February 27, he made a dramatic return to the assembly, presiding over a session with just four lawmakers in attendance. Since his arrival back in Nigeria on January 25, he has staunchly maintained that his removal as speaker on January 13 was illegitimate.
Speculation is growing that Meranda is under increasing pressure to relinquish her position. The withdrawal of security aides assigned to her last Thursday further heightened uncertainty over the assembly’s leadership.
However, Moshood Jimoh, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, later clarified that Meranda’s security detail had been reinstated after what he described as an “audit process.”
