Mudashiru Obasa was impeached as Speaker of the state legislature for a number of “sins,” according to Lagos lawmakers, including consistently arriving late for legislative sessions and meetings, being haughty, and instigating members against one another.
Recall that because to allegations of financial embezzlement, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly impeached the troubled Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, on Monday on behalf of Agege.
On behalf of Apapa I, the parliamentarians substituted Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, Obasa’s former deputy, for Obasa. She is now the first significant female speaker in the state assembly’s history.
After Obasa was impeached, the Assembly also dismissed Olalekan Onafeko, the Clerk.
Members voted to remove Obasa, who had been speaker for ten years, and Onafeko, who was allegedly brought to the assembly by Obasa alone.
The impeached speaker and Onafeko were also responsible for the ban on journalists covering the assembly’s activities for more than two years.
Security stops thugs’ invasion
Armed security personnel from the state police command, Lagos Task Force, and Rapid Response Squad, RRS, have taken over the premises and environs, turning back all vehicles and people.
Meanwhile, some criminals attempting to enter the complex were stopped, arrested, and clamped into a waiting Black Maria.
The miscreants from Agege Constituency who were thought to be Obasa’s sympathizers also yielded some charms and amulets.
The misdeeds of Obasa
Following a motion filed by Femi Saheed under the Matter of Urgent Public Importance, Obasa was impeached.
Saheed, in accordance with 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.
When doing his duties, he added, Obasa also employs an authoritarian and undemocratic leadership style.
A motion for impeachment was thus made by him.
The motion was adopted, and the 32 members then impeached the member by voice vote.
Meranda was then elected as the new speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, and Fatai Mojeed was elected as the assembly’s deputy speaker.
In a separate move, the House also suspended Olalekan Onafeko, the Assembly Clerk. Mr. Abubakar Ottun is now the Acting Clerk of the House, taking his place.
Lawmakers speak to reporters
Later, when addressing reporters on behalf of the MPs, Abiodun Tobun, who was representing Epe Constituency 1, gave an explanation of why the members had switched the house’s leadership.
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 clarified that members agreed to terminate Obasa’s term since the Constitution gives the Assembly the authority to control its operations.
The public was reassured by the lawmakers of their dedication to the stability and advancement of Lagos State under the incoming administration.
Biography: The new Speaker, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda
The late Chief T. A. Lawal Akapo (Ojora of Lagos) and Princess M. A. Lawal-Akapo, who belonged to the Ojora, Aromire, Onitana, Oloto, and Oniru royal families, were the parents of Mojisola Lasbat Meranda. She was the sibling of Oba Gbolhan Lawal, the Oniru of Irulaland.
She attended Randle Primary School after completing her elementary schooling at St. Charles Nursery and Primary School. She earned the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) while attending Anglican Girls Grammar School and Ansar-Ud-Deen Secondary School in Surulere, where she served as the secretary of the press club and library prefect.
Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, a youthful, daring student, earned a certificate in Software Development (Network Engineering) from NIIT. In addition, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Lagos State University (LASU), a Master of Public and International Affairs (MPIA) from the University of Lagos, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Public Sector Management from the University of York, UK, and an ongoing Master of Criminology from the University of Lagos.
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 Career
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.
Earlier
Remember that during the recent 2025 budget presentation, Obasa left party leaders and the state governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, waiting for a long time in what appeared to be a display of power.
Obasa has never shown regret for his blatant disregard for the executive branch, especially the state governor’s office.
Obasa led the resistance against names during the screening of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commissioner nomination, which ultimately resulted in rejection.
President Bola Tinubu, the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the All Progressive Congress (APC), and party leaders had to step in to prevent the issue from degenerating into a furious legislative and executive conflict.
However, the dust was recently settled during Mr. President’s Yuletide vacation in Lagos, where important peace talks between the legislative and executive branches, led by Sanwo-Olu and Obasa, prevented the party from collapsing over issues that bordered on ambitions for governorship, among other interests.