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  • Obasa apologises to DSS over assault on men by Lagos Assembly officials

    Obasa apologises to DSS over assault on men by Lagos Assembly officials

    Lagos Speaker Mudashiru Obasa has apologised to security agencies following the recent assault on operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) within the Assembly premises.

    The apology comes after widely circulated videos showed security operatives being manhandled on February 17, 2025 during a tense moment at the legislative chamber.

    The incident led to the arrest, arraignment, and remand of some of the Assembly officials involved in the attack.

    Following investigations, the secret police arrested the Assembly officials alleged to have been directly involved in the assault on DSS operatives.

    Those arrested include Olalekan Azeez, the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Lagos Assembly; Adekunle Ajayi, a legislative officer and Ganiyu Hassan, an aide to a principal officer in the Assembly.

    The suspects were arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court on charges of assault, obstruction of lawful duty, and breach of public peace. After the hearing, the court ordered their remand at the Kirikiri Correctional Center pending further proceedings.

    In response to the controversy, Speaker Obasa, who resumed office today following the recent political crisis in the Assembly, expressed deep regret over the incident and offered an apology to the affected security personnel.

    He acknowledged the embarrassment caused and reiterated the Assembly’s commitment to maintaining a strong relationship with security agencies.

    Read Also: We reject Obasa in totality – Lagos lawmakers

    “On behalf of the Lagos State House of Assembly, I hereby apologize to the security agencies involved, particularly the operatives of the DSS, for the embarrassment and assault they suffered, as seen in widely circulated videos.

    “We value your commitment and the work you do. You are the ones we rely on for protection within the assembly and across Lagos State. It is regrettable that DSS operatives, who were present upon our request for additional support, had to endure such an incident within our hallowed chambers,” Obasa said.

    The Speaker reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to fostering cooperation with security agencies and called for an amicable resolution of the matter.

    “The Lagos Assembly has always maintained a cordial and respectful relationship with security operatives. We sincerely hope this incident does not damage the trust we have built over the years. We also appeal on behalf of those who have been charged in connection with the incident and look forward to a peaceful settlement,” he said.

    Obasa Letter
  • BREAKING: I’m back as Lagos Speaker, says Obasa

    BREAKING: I’m back as Lagos Speaker, says Obasa

    …we reject Obasa in totality, say lawmakers

    The embattled Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, has declared that he remains the Speaker despite opposition from some members who insist that Mojisola Meranda should retain the position. 

    Obasa arrived at the assembly complex earlier today, escorted by security operatives and accompanied by former principal officers and close associates.

    Upon entering the chamber, he proceeded to the Speaker’s office, where he remained for a while. 

    Speaking to journalists, Obasa dismissed reports of his removal, stating that he had only been on recess and reaffirming that he remains the legitimate Speaker of the House.

    According to him, the removal was undemocratic and unconstitutional.

    “Impeachment or removal of speaker is a democratic process and constitutional. If you want to do the that, you must follow the due process. I’m not against being removed. If I do that, it means I’m not democratic. What we are saying is that let us follow the due process,” he said

    He described the recent incident as a family affair and promised not to victimise anybody.

    “We’re one family. I don’t have anything against anybody. All my colleagues, we’re brothers, and we remain brothers. They’ve always been loyal and dedicated and have a strong commitment to serving the people of Lagos, and we will continue to do that together. For me, I have nothing against anybody and no intention to victimise anybody,” he assured his colleagues.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Obasa storms Lagos Assembly complex 

    Meanwhile, some lawmakers insisted that Obasa is no longer the speaker of the assembly.

    The assembly spokesman, Stephen Ogundipe, decried the party leaders’ leaving the lawmakers in the dark over Obasa’s return to the assembly.

    He said the lawmakers were not privy to Obasa’s action, urging the party leaders to urgently address the matter.

    He said: “We’re shocked to see what’s happening here today. We expect our leaders, who earlier told us to remain calm, to come and address us and tell us where we went wrong or what really went wrong. We won’t take laws into our hands, but we belong to different constituencies and we have our mandates. Whatever is going to happen, the leadership should speak with us and not this charade we’re witnessing. We are humiliated by this action. I was stopped at the gate from entering the assembly chamber. This is an embarrassment, and it must stop. We are not against the leadership’s decisions, but they should call us and tell us instead of hearing rumours. They’re our leaders, we’ll still stand and obey their decisions.”

    Shortly after, the lawmakers chorused, “We reject Obasa in totality.”

  • JUST IN: Controversy over Obasa’s reinstatement as Lagos speaker 

    JUST IN: Controversy over Obasa’s reinstatement as Lagos speaker 

    …as Meranda’s security details withdrawn

    Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa has reportedly returned as Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly with his security details restored.

    The Nation had reported that Obasa on Thursday stormed the Lagos Assembly complex. 

    Obasa was also accompanied by scores of supporters.

    Read Also: Lagos, private sector begin exchange programme for workers

    In videos and pictures circulating on social media, the supporters were seen with placards as they chorused songs in support of Obasa at the entrance of the assembly complex.

    On the part of Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, all her security details attached to her following her election on January 13 when Obasa was removed has been withdrawn.

    The development followed a meeting of prominent leaders of the All Progressives Congress over the Speakership saga held on Sunday at Marina House, Lagos.

    The meeting had in attendance former National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, ex-Ogun governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, former Legal Adviser of the party, Dr Muiz Banire, SAN, and Hon. James Faleke.

    Reports about the resolutions reached by the leaders had been differing, with some alleging that Meranda was asked to resign.

    It was also reported that the leaders resolved on having a new Speaker that would come from Lagos West.

    “All that was reported by the media was a distorted accounts of the leaders’ decisions. 

    “In truth, what they said was that Obasa’s removal was illegal and the lawmakers were directed at the meeting to go and return him,” sources familiar with the matter said.

  • BREAKING: Obasa storms Lagos Assembly complex 

    BREAKING: Obasa storms Lagos Assembly complex 

    The impeached speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has stormed the assembly complex. 

    The development came moments after the incumbent speaker Mojisola Meranda’s security detail was withdrawn.

    Read Also: Lagos, private sector begin exchange programme for workers

    The ousted speaker arrived at the assembly complex around midday and made for the speaker’s office.

    Details shortly…

  • Group dismisses claims Akande, others endorsed Obasa’s removal

    Group dismisses claims Akande, others endorsed Obasa’s removal

    The Progressives Alliance, a political group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos State chapter, has refuted media reports claiming that a recent meeting of APC leaders affirmed the removal of Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. 

    The meeting, which was said to have been held on Sunday at the State House, Marina, was attended by prominent party leaders, including former APC national chairman Chief Bisi Akande, former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba, and Dr. Muiz Banire, the party’s former national legal adviser.

    Reports claimed that the gathering, allegedly endorsed by President Bola Tinubu, concluded that Obasa’s removal was final. 

    It also alleged that the leaders decided Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda should step down as Speaker to facilitate the election of a new Speaker from Lagos West, ensuring a balance among the senatorial districts.

    The report also said that the leaders told the lawmakers to commute Obasa’s removal to resignation to save his political career.

    However, the Progressives Alliance dismissed the claims, insisting in a statement signed by its secretary, Segun Banjo, that the APC leaders did not approve Obasa’s removal.

    Read Also: JUST IN: Oyo APC guber aspirant Oladele holds strategic meeting with Chief Bisi Akande

    The group maintained that the reported outcome of the meeting was inaccurate.

    The statement read: “It has come to our notice media reports about the APC leaders’ meeting held on Sunday in Lagos, where it is said that the leaders reached the conclusion that the removal of Hon Mudashiru Obasa has come to stay and that his impeachment should be commuted to resignation by his colleagues.

    “From the standpoint of someone privy to all that went down at the meeting, we make bold to say that the narrative is false, and a misrepresentation of some of the resolutions reached at the meeting. 

    “To us, the misleading reports making the rounds are aimed at deceiving the undiscerning public into believing that Hon. Mudashiru Obasa’s fate has been sealed and he has lost out in the ongoing power game that characterizes the Lagos State House of Assembly Speakership tussle since January 13.”

    The group emphasized that APC leaders did not instruct Obasa to resign.

    It further pointed to the interim injunction the National Industrial Court issued as proof that Obasa’s impeachment was unlawful.

    The injunction, granted following an ex parte application by Olalekan Onafeko, reinstated the sacked Clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly. 

    Onafeko had served as Clerk before Obasa’s removal on January 13.

    However, the Meranda-led Assembly replaced him with Mr. Babatunde Ottun in an acting capacity—a move that Justice M. N. Esowe overturned through an ex parte order. 

    “The court orders that both parties shall maintain peace and the status quo ante bellum until the motion on notice is heard and determined,” Justice Esowe ruled.

  • Obasa opts for litigation

    Obasa opts for litigation

    Some 10 days ago, former Lagos State House of Assembly speaker Mudashiru Obasa went to court to challenge his removal last month while on vacation. He rested his application on nine grounds. His resort to the courts followed his realisation that civil action, which hundreds of his supporters embarked upon in the weeks following his removal, cut no ice. It is, however, within his rights to litigate his removal, especially as political interventions seemed slow and stalemated.

    Read Also: Tinubu flags-off reconstruction of Lagos-Ibadan-Sagamu Expressway

    But if political intervention appears long-drawn-out, why does he think court action will give him the quick relief he desires so badly? He has had a long spell as speaker, but he has not matched it with experience and quick-wittedness. He seems persuaded that his colleagues are so fickle-minded that should he be restored in office, he could worm his way back into their confidences. Nothing is impossible. But given the manner they repudiated him weeks ago, their true selves appeared to have been on display. They will continue to loath his leadership. If at his age and more than 10 years of his leadership he could not hone his leadership acumen, where does he think his new self would come from?

    Strangely, both the state All Progressives Congress and the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) seem numbed. They should regain their composure and take remedies that won’t cost them dearly in the future, or become pyrrhic. They should take the wind. Whatever solutions they embrace that end up alienating the nearly three dozen lawmakers who kicked out Hon. Obasa will do more harm than good to the party’s fabric. Surely, they must know that the courts won’t give the party and Hon Obasa the respite they seek.

  • Speakership tussle: Accept your fate, reconcile with your colleagues, ex-lawmaker Idimogu tells Obasa

    Speakership tussle: Accept your fate, reconcile with your colleagues, ex-lawmaker Idimogu tells Obasa

    A former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Jude Idimogu, has warned the ousted Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, against inflaming tensions in the state amid the ongoing crisis in the legislative chamber.

    Idimogu, who represented Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2 from 2015 to 2023, spoke in a WhatsApp voice note sent to our correspondent. 

    He noted that Obasa is not the first Speaker to be removed by colleagues and urged him to allow peace to prevail.

    “I would advise him to stop heating up the polity in Lagos State and stop putting the APC in disarray. After all, he has gone to court, so he should allow the court to do its job,” Idimogu stated.

    The former lawmaker emphasized that nothing lasts forever and reminded Obasa of his long tenure in the House, spanning over two decades. 

    He urged the ex-speaker to appreciate his time in office and the support he received from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) rather than causing unrest.

    “Obasa should know that he is not greater than the other 39 members of the House of Assembly. The leadership of the APC, led by the President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has been good to him. He should reflect on his journey and be grateful. If I were him, I would go and do thanksgiving,” he said.

    Read Also: IGP to Adeleke: shelve contentious council poll to advert bloodshed

    Idimogu further advised Obasa to reconcile with his colleagues, reminding him that while he remains a member of the House, his tenure as Speaker has ended. 

    “He has spent almost 10 years as Speaker and 12 years as a member. I don’t think he can return as Speaker in that place again,” he added.

    “His name is not Lagos State. His name is Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa. It was just a privilege given to him to serve as the Speaker, and at a point, he abused it.

    “What has happened to Obasa has God’s hands in it. This has nothing to do with party leaders. God has used people to tell him whatever has a beginning must surely have an end.

    “If I were him, I will go on my knees and beg God for forgiveness. Also, all the former members and the ones who are there currently, he should beg them for forgiveness.

    The lawmaker explained that the other 39 members currently in the House are greater than Obasa and that President Tinubu, who is likely to run for a second term, should understand that these other 39 members would gather more loyalists’ votes than Obasa.

    “Obasa’s time as the Speaker has come and gone. He has not been suspended as a member of the House and he has a choice to come for the sitting and if he doesn’t, he should know that the people of Agege Constituency 1 will suffer for it,” he added

  • Alleged armed discovery: Obasa dismisses allegation, says attempt to tarnish his image will fail

    Alleged armed discovery: Obasa dismisses allegation, says attempt to tarnish his image will fail

    The former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa has dismissed a viral report alleging that the Department of State Services (DSS) uncovered an arms cache in his former office.

    In a statement personally issued on Wednesday, Obasa described the report, purportedly authored by an individual on February 18, as a “lazy journalistic story” and a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation.

    Obasa strongly refuted the claims, calling the report “a complete concoction” and alleging that it was sponsored by individuals attempting to malign his decades-long political and legislative career.

    He accused the report’s author and sponsors of fabricating a defamatory story riddled with inconsistencies and unverified claims.

    The statement said, “The ill-conceived story, apart from being a complete concoction, clearly exposes its author and paymasters as maliciously low-intelligence, only to malign my hard-earned reputation spanning decades of political leadership and legislative hard work.

    “In their haste to criminally defame my person, their laughable story, and outright abuse of social media platforms, left so many gaps, with apparent questions begging for answers.

    “The story claimed phantom sources in the assembly and also revealed that the discovery came “a day after an uproar occasioned by the presence of the DSS in the assembly complex.”

    “Sources in the Assembly hinted that the security operatives assigned to the Assembly had during their routine sweeping exercise, discovered a stack of new arms, including pump action numbering about 47, and live cartridges neatly kept somewhere within the Speaker’s office space.”

    “The discovery, according to the story’s specious account, led to immediate notification of “the state security service, who in turn sent in their men to take inventory of the arms and also take them into custody while the investigation is scheduled on the development.

    “The author’s and paymasters’ sources also reportedly “shared pictures of the arms and when the DSS operatives were taking inventory of them. From the foregoing, it is discerning that my traducers are furtively attempting to call a dog a bad name just to hang it.”

    However, Obasa countered the claims, pointing out that the report failed to establish credible sources and omitted key facts.

    He argued that the supposed discovery was a calculated smear campaign, following a series of events involving his controversial removal from office.

    He accused the leadership of the House of playing a key role in orchestrating the narrative.

    According to Obasa, the House had written a letter, through what he termed a “non-existent Acting Clerk’s position,” falsely alleging that he was planning to storm the Assembly complex.

    He claimed that the DSS was voluntarily invited by the House leadership and added that the narrative changed when her move backfired.

    “It is of public knowledge that I traveled abroad towards the end of December and returned in mid-January by which time the legislative ‘coupists’ had illegally supplanted my leadership of the House. A matter that is currently before the court of law for adjudication,” he stated.

    Obasa further alleged that after his removal, his office and the Assembly chambers were forcibly broken into and searched, but nothing incriminating was found at the time.

    He also claimed that the new speaker, Mojisola Meranda engaged in spiritual cleansing of the office with prayer warriors upon taking over.

    “I consider their purported sudden discovery of a ‘cache of arms ammunition’ in the Speaker’s office as nothing but an afterthought, having sensed the futility of their illegal actions,” he asserted.

    “Their phantom evil story making the rounds is devoid of any logic and dead on arrival like the discovered planted camera at the Lekki Toll Gate, weeks after the EndSARS protest brouhaha.”

    The former Speaker also accused his detractors of spreading several other unfounded allegations against him, including fabrications that he constructed a gate for N16 billion and purchased a Toyota Hilux truck for N40 billion.

    He alleged that certain individuals had been attempting to extract incriminating information from his aides in a bid to blackmail him, vowing that justice would prevail.

    “The dutiful Department of State Services’ involvement, again at their voluntary invitation, will unravel those behind my incessant blackmail since their sponsored story claimed their ‘discovery’ has been reported for immediate action,” he stated.

    Obasa concluded by warning that he anticipated further attempts to smear his image, suggesting that his detractors could soon resort to even more extreme allegations such as harassment, rape, or theft.

    “At this point, all right-thinking members of the public should know that their story is nothing but lies from the pit of hell,” he declared.

  • IPAC to Obasa: give peace a chance

    IPAC to Obasa: give peace a chance

    Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos State has called on the impeached Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, to give peace a chance.

    Chairperson of IPAC in the state, Mrs Temilola Akinade, said this yesterday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    NAN recalls that the speakership crisis began on January 13 when 32 of the 40-member assembly removed Obasa and replaced him with then Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda.

    Read Also: Obasa sues Lagos Assembly, Meranda over removal

    The crisis, however, escalated on Monday when operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and armed police officers sealed off the offices of the new speaker and deputy speaker, as well as the chamber.

    Akinade said the umbrella body of political parties in the state was embarrassed by the latest development that interrupted the legislative process on Monday.

    She described disruption of legislative activities at the assembly over leadership crisis as unacceptable.

  • Obasa sues Lagos Assembly, Meranda over removal

    Obasa sues Lagos Assembly, Meranda over removal

    The former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has filed a suit against the Assembly and the new Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, challenging the legality of his sack.

    Obasa, in the suit which is yet to be assigned to a judge, is urging the court to declare that his colleagues in the House acted unlawfully by removing him while the Assembly was in recess.

    In the application dated February 12, 2025, and filed by his lawyer, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), the plaintiff claimed that he was removed from his position on January 13, 2025, by 36 lawmakers while he was out of the country.

    The embattled lawmaker is seeking the following reliefs: an order of the court fixing a date for the accelerated hearing of the case and to shorten the time allowed for the defendants to respond with counter-affidavits or written addresses to seven days post-hearing.

    He also asked the court to order that the time for the plaintiff to file their replies on points of law be limited to three days.

    Obasa’s application is based on nine grounds, focusing on the interpretation of various sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the Rules and Standing Orders of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

    Read Also: Tinubu will commission several FCT projects in May – Wike

    The plaintiff challenges the constitutionality of the Lagos State House of Assembly’s sitting and proceedings during recess without the Speaker convening the House or delegating authority to someone else to do so.

    Public interest necessitates that this case be heard and resolved quickly to avoid disruption of legislative activities in the state.

    Obasa maintained that the court must urgently determine the legality behind the Assembly’s current leadership because it violates the applicable laws and rules.

    He further asserts that the court holds inherent powers to grant expedited hearings and time limitations.

    No date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter.

    Obasa was impeached on January 13 while he was away from the country by more than two-thirds of the 40-member legislative house over alleged misconduct and sundry offences.