Lagos lawmakers have listed perpetual lateness to legislative sections and meetings, highhandedness and inciting members against each other as some of the ‘sins’ over which Mudashiru Obasa was impeached as Speaker of the state assembly
Recall that members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Monday, impeached the embattled Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, representing Agege, over alleged financial misappropriation.
The lawmakers replaced Obasa with his erstwhile deputy, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, representing Apapa I. This makes her the first substantive female Speaker in the history of the state assembly.
The Assembly also removed the Clerk, Olalekan Onafeko, following the impeachment of Obasa.
Obasa, was in a gestapo manner, impeached by members, ending his 10-year reign as speaker, and Onafeko, who was said to have been brought to the assembly by Obasa singlehandedly.
The impeached speaker and Onafeko were also behind the ban on journalists covering the activities of the assembly for over two years ago.
Security stops thugs’ invasion
Consequently, armed security personnel of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS; Lagos Task Force, and state police command have taken over the premises and environs turning back every motorist and person.
Meanwhile, some miscreants who were trying to invade the complex were intercepted, arrested and clamped into a waiting Black Maria.
Some charms and amulets were also recovered from the miscreants believed to be supporters of Obasa from Agege Constituency.
Obasa was impeached following a motion moved under the Matter of Urgent Public Importance by Femi Saheed.
Saheed, in line with provision of section 92(2) (C) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, accused Obasa of gross misconduct and poor leadership, which included perpetual lateness to legislative sections and meetings; highhandedness and lack of regard of members; gross abuse of office and privileges; intimidation and oppression of members by inciting them against one another amongst others.
He mentioned that Obasa also practices an authoritarian and undemocratic leadership style in discharging his duties.
He, therefore, moved the motion for impeachment.
Following the adoption of the motion, the impeachment was made by the 32 members through a voice vote.
Subsequently, Meranda emerged as the new speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, while Fatai Mojeed emerged as the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.
In a related development, the House also suspended the Clerk of the Assembly, Olalekan Onafeko. He has been replaced with Mr. Abubakar Ottun as the Acting Clerk of the House.
Lawmakers address newsmen
Later, Abiodun Tobun, representing Epe Constituency 1, while speaking with newsmen on behalf of the lawmakers, explained why the members changed the leadership of the house.
According to him, “The Lagos State House of Assembly has declared its decision to impeach Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. The impeachment was a unanimous decision by the lawmakers.
“The lawmakers agreed to take this step to safeguard our image and Lagos State. Change is inevitable, and we felt it was time for a new direction.
“All standing committees and principal officer positions have been dissolved. We are determined to work together to elevate the Assembly and deliver on our responsibilities to Lagosians.”
He explained that the Constitution empowers the Assembly to regulate its proceedings, and members reached a consensus to end Obasa’s tenure.
The lawmakers assured the public of their commitment to the progress and stability of Lagos State under the new leadership.
Biography: Meet Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, new speaker
Mojisola Lasbat Meranda was born to the family of late Chief T. A. Lawal Akapo (Ojora of Lagos) and Princess M. A. Lawal-Akapo of the royal families of Ojora, Aromire, Onitana, Oloto, and Oniru royal families; sibling to the Oniru of Irulaland, Oba Gbolhan Lawal.
She had her primary education at St. Charles Nursery and Primary school and later on Randle Primary School. She attended Anglican Girls Grammar School and Ansar-Ud-Deen Secondary School, both in Surulere where she held the posts of the library prefect and secretary press club, and obtained the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE).
A highly adventurous scholar, young Mojisola Lasbat Meranda attended NIIT where she obtained a certificate in Software Development (Network Engineering). She also obtained a BSc in Public Administration from the Lagos State University (LASU), Masters of Public and International Affairs (MPIA) from University of Lagos, and Master in Business Administration MBA, Public Sector Management from University of York, UK, and Master of Criminology, University of Lagos (ongoing).
A woman of impeccable character and sterling track record, young Mojisola Lasbat Meranda later joined the service of the Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology in Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration as the Personal Assistant to the SSA on Information Technology. Then went on to serve as the Personal Assistant to the director of Land Information System Support Unit (LISSU) of the surveyor general and one time the office manager of Cirrus Nigeria Limited in Lekki, Lagos.
She later formed her own company called Worthline International Services Limited.
Her political journey
A progressive to the core, Mojisola Meranda was a member of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD), which transformed to the Action Congress (AC) and also became Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), then now All Progressives Congress (APC) party.
A dynamic political team player, Mojisola Meranda served as a Senior Special Assistant on Intervention and Inter-Governmental Relations in Apapa Local Government. She got elevated to serve as the Supervisor for Health in the same local government and was a frontal/team player in the day-to-day health care delivery programmes in the local government after which she ‘took the bull by the horn’ by contesting in the primary election to represent her constituency which she won by a landslide.
She then proceeded to contest the elective post into the Lagos State House of Assembly with other political parties and she came out victorious.
She was the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) in the 8th Assembly.
She was also the Chairman, House Committee on Establishment and later the Chief Whip in the 9th Assembly.
She is married to Engineer Johnpaul Meranda and blessed with children.
Recall that tensions mounted during the recent 2025 budget presentation, where Obasa, in apparent show of power, left party leaders and the state governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, waiting for a long wait.
Obasa has always been unapologetic about his obvious disrespectful attitude and actions to the executive arm, particularly the office of the state governor.
During the screening of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s nomination of commissioners, Obasa spearheaded the opposition to names, eventually leading to rejection.
It took the intervention of the President Bola Tinubu, Governance Advisory Council, GAC, of All Progressive Congress, APC, and party leaders, to save the situation from snowballing into heated executive, legislative face-off.
The dust, however, was laid to rest recently during the Yuletide vacation of Mr. President in Lagos where crucial and peace meetings were held between the executive and legislative arms, led by Sanwo-Olu and Obasa, to save the party from sliding into disintegration over issues bordering on governorship ambition, among other interests.
