Pressure Mounts On Lagos Assembly Speaker To Resign As Tinubu Gives Fresh Assignments To Akande, Osoba, Ambode, Others
In a last-minute effort to resolve the leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on key figures within the All Progressives Congress (APC) to mediate the situation.
According to The PUNCH, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alongside former governors Chief Bisi Akande (Osun), Chief Olusegun Osoba (Ogun), and Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), convened a high-level meeting at the Governor’s Lodge in Marina, Lagos, on Sunday. Other attendees included members of the Lagos Governance Advisory Council (GAC), APC Lagos Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, and former state chairman Tunde Balogun.
As of late Sunday night, the meeting was still ongoing, with party leaders expected to hold further discussions with Lagos lawmakers.
A source familiar with the matter disclosed that the meeting focused on resolving the speakership dispute between ousted Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and current Speaker Mojisola Meranda.
“The meeting is currently holding as we speak. The party chieftains will call the lawmakers for another round of discussions. It is all in a bid to resolve the crisis.
“Obasa wants to return as Speaker of the House to spend a little time before he finally resigns by himself. However, some lawmakers believe that once he returns to the seat, it will be hard to get him to leave the position.
“So President Tinubu, fed up with the prolonged crisis, drafted the party bigwigs to Lagos to find a way out,” the source said.
Naija News reports that the crisis began on January 13, 2025, when 36 lawmakers voted to remove Obasa as Speaker and replaced him with Meranda, who was then the Deputy Speaker. Obasa has since challenged his removal in a Lagos State High Court, arguing that he was removed while the Assembly was in recess.
Possible Resolution: Meranda May Step Down for Setonji
Reports suggest that Meranda may step down in favor of Setonji David, a lawmaker from Badagry, as part of a compromise brokered by the APC leadership.
A Presidency source confirmed ongoing consultations, stating, “Well, it is true. There have been consultations, and it appears that she will step down.”
Another source indicated that President Tinubu advised party leaders to find a balanced solution that ensures fair representation, particularly for Lagos West, which currently lacks a key position in the state’s leadership.
