The reinstated Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, met with fellow lawmakers on Tuesday in an effort to reconcile with aggrieved colleagues following the leadership crisis that ended with his re-election on Monday.
The meeting, held at the Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja, came a day after Mojisola Meranda resigned as Speaker and was re-elected as Deputy Speaker. Meranda had served as Speaker for 49 days after Obasa’s removal on January 13, 2025.
Obasa’s return to power was the result of interventions by key figures in the All Progressives Congress (APC), including former governors Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba.
However, tensions remain high among lawmakers, and speculation about Obasa’s possible resignation has been dismissed by sources close to him.
A lawmaker, speaking anonymously, revealed dissatisfaction within the House.
“First, one of the issues we raised as a reason for his removal happened again. A meeting scheduled for 1 pm did not hold until 2:30 pm. We were all kept waiting, and when he arrived, there was no apology for the late commencement of the meeting. He went straight to the agenda after he passively acknowledged that we were still bitter with the way we were forced to bring him back, and none of us contributed at the meeting.”
Another lawmaker disclosed that the primary topic at the meeting was the lawsuit filed by the suspended Clerk, Olalekan Onafeko, against the Assembly.
“The matter comes up on Thursday. Ordinarily, it is a civil matter, so we were concerned that he had to involve the Department of State Services, which further led to the invitation and arrest of some of our colleagues. Aside from these, nothing else happened. The meeting was short-lived.”
Despite Obasa’s return, many lawmakers remain resentful.
“I want you to know that his return was not a selfless decision by us. It was done simply because we respect leaders like Baba Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba. In our hearts and souls, we do not want him up till this moment.”
A source close to Obasa confirmed ongoing efforts to mend relationships.
“You know they also met on Monday. Before then, they have also been meeting, so it’s been ongoing. It’s just to reconcile, so they can work together.”
However, another major point of contention is Obasa’s push to reinstate Olalekan Onafeko as Clerk of the House, despite resistance from lawmakers.
“Obasa is pushing for Onafeko to return, but the lawmakers are adamant. Although some of them are already shifting ground and considering. Let’s see how it goes.”
Onafeko, suspended on January 13, was replaced by Ottun Babatunde, who acted as Clerk during Monday’s plenary where Obasa was re-elected. Now, Onafeko has taken legal action against Babatunde and the Assembly at the National Industrial Court.
In a phone conversation with with a news medium (not Chronicle NG) on Tuesday, Onafeko expressed openness to a political resolution.
“Sometimes, you manage the situation. That doesn’t mean you don’t know what you’re doing, but for the sake of peace and the integrity of the institution itself, and I want to defer to the members of the House. I know that they will do the right thing. So, let’s take it one step at a time. It’s not something that you can only sort out by the law. The political and human aspects will also be looked into. The most important thing is what is good for the institution and the state itself.”
He further noted that the Clerk’s Office is currently under renovation, leaving it unoccupied.
Meanwhile, Obasa’s lawyer, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), could not be reached to confirm whether his client would drop the lawsuit against the Assembly. However, he had stated on Monday that he had yet to be briefed on that decision.
