Pressure Mounts On Lagos Assembly Speaker To Resign As Tinubu Gives Fresh Assignments To Akande, Osoba, Ambode, Others

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged important members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to mediate the leadership problem in the Lagos State House of Assembly in an attempt to end the conflict at the last minute.

At the Governor’s Lodge in Marina, Lagos, on Sunday, former governors Chief Bisi Akande (Osun), Chief Olusegun Osoba (Ogun), and Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos) joined Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for a high-level meeting. APC Lagos Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, former state chairman Tunde Balogun, and members of the Lagos Governance Advisory Council (GAC) were among the other guests.

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The conference was still in progress as of late Sunday evening, and party leaders were anticipated to continue their conversations with Lagos lawmakers.

According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the meeting’s main goal was to settle the speakership issue between current Speaker Mojisola Meranda and expelled Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

“As we speak, the meeting is in progress. The lawmakers will be summoned by the party leaders for more talks. All of this is an attempt to address the crisis.

Before he eventually steps down on his own, Obasa wishes to return as Speaker of the House for a little period of time. Some lawmakers, however, think it will be difficult to persuade him to resign once he takes his seat again.

According to the source, President Tinubu summoned the party leaders to Lagos in order to find a solution since he was tired of the protracted conflict.

When 36 MPs decided to oust Obasa as Speaker and install Meranda, who was then the Deputy Speaker, in his stead, the crisis started on January 13, 2025. Since then, Obasa has appealed his dismissal in a Lagos State High Court, claiming that it occurred during a break in the Assembly.

Potential Settlement: Meranda Could Resign for Setonji

According to reports, Meranda might resign in favor of Badagry lawmaker Setonji David as part of a deal mediated by the APC leadership.

Ongoing conversations are verified by a Presidency source, who said, “Well, it is true. Consultations have taken place, and it seems she will stand down.

According to a different source, President Tinubu counseled party officials to come up with a well-rounded plan that guarantees equitable representation, especially for Lagos West, which does not yet hold a significant position in the state’s leadership.

According to the source, “the President is in favor of a solution that accommodates all interests and believes Lagos West should not be sidelined.”

Meranda has apparently been under increasing pressure to step down, and several meetings have been convened to discuss the matter.

Meranda has been under pressure to step down. Last Monday, she was supposed to read out her resignation to the House, but the lawmakers disagreed. Meetings have been held to discuss this, according to an Assembly source.

Although it leaked last week, a letter implying Meranda’s resignation was never read aloud in the Assembly. According to sources, Abuja is pressuring her to resign.

Segun Ajiboye, her aide, has refuted the resignation rumors.

The ultimate settlement has not yet been reached, according to a Facebook comment made by Ayoade Adeniyi.

“Olori Oko has explicitly ordered the woman to resign. On February 22, 2025, all of the honorable members were there with the governor at Lagos House, Marina.

“We are still unsure of who he has recommended to be the Speaker.”

Adeniyi warned that reinstating Obasa could spark a serious backlash, though lawmakers were open to working with an alternative candidate.