Politics
LSHA: How Political Godfathers Shoved Meranda Aside For Obasa
The power-play which rocked the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), publicly vented an interplay of political wishes, godfatherism, legal fireworks, influence or loyalty of security operatives, and who is in-charge has seen the 49-day reign of Rt Hon Mojisola Meranda as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) drawn to a close.
Biztellers reports that Hon Meranda in an emotion laden speech, which was vented in the media before being read to the lawmakers, ‘voluntarily’ stepped aside to preserve the interest of the party and the House.
Immediately thereafter, the legislators reelected Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker, who went ahead to adjourn the House sine-die.
However, it has become public knowledge that what played out in the House on Monday was not unconnected to the resolutions of the mediating panel mandated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resolved the imbroglio.
ALSO READ: FULL SPEECH: Why I Stepped-Down As Speaker LSHA – Meranda
The panel was mastered by Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Olusegun Osoba, both former governors of Osun and Ogun States, respectively.
As part of their duties, they met with top APC leaders in Lagos State with a view to dousing the flames generated by Obasa’s removal on January 13, 2025 by over 30 lawmakers, who replaced him with Meranda, thus gifting the LSHA its first female Speaker.
The move, was rejected outright by Obasa, who went ahead to challenge it in the court, aligned with national and state party leaders, and coopted the security operatives to reclaim his position.
At the plenary on Monday, other principal officers elected under Meranda also resigned from their positions, including Deputy Speaker, Mojeed Fatai, and Chief Whip, Okanlawon Sani.
The action at the floor of the house was preceded with a meeting between Obasa, Meranda, all the lawmakers and the leadership of the party in Lagos State, led by the state Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi.
The state Attorney General, Lawal Pedro (SAN), was also at the meeting held outside the assembly chamber, before the plenary where Meranda officially resigned.
In her resignation speech, Meranda stated that her decision was made in the interest of democracy and to prevent further crises within the Assembly.
She emphasised that leadership required selfless sacrifice and that stepping down was necessary to maintain stability.
“I wish to let every one of you know that I have made a personal sacrifice towards resolving the leadership crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly.
“I recognise the role my family has played and continues to play in entrenching democracy, good governance, and the betterment of our people.
“I will never depart from the well-established path of honour, dignity, integrity, and service as personified by my late father,” she said.
The first female speaker in the history of the Assembly added, “I took this decision carefully and with firm consideration.
“On one hand, I accepted the position of Speaker on January 13, 2025, and on the other hand, I resigned the position as it is threatening the democracy of this House.
“I am not a quitter; however, I took this bold decision in order to save this legislative institution from further unnecessary conflict and embarrassment.
“Accordingly, I have agreed to yet again make a personal sacrifice by stepping down as the Speaker of this great Assembly.”
According to Meranda, the party is supreme.
“I sincerely thank you for your understanding and support, just as we know that party decisions are supreme,” she said.
Consequently, the House reelected Obasa, who took a fresh oath of office as the Speaker and pledged to Lagos residents that the assembly would continue to make laws for the progress of the state.
Obasa registered his gratitude to Chief Akande and Chief Osoba in dousing the flames.
He said, “We want to assure Lagosians that we have resolved and determined to serve their interest and protect their interest always.
“Our major responsibility is to represent them and that’s what we have been doing.
“What is happening here today shows that the Lagos State House of Assembly is capable and is a House of integrity. It is a house that has an internal mechanism to resolve issues in the interest of the institution and our party.
“Today is not the day for speech making but to celebrate my colleagues and thank them for all they have been doing. I am sure we will continue to work together in peace, love and harmony.”
Obasa thereafter adjourned the plenary indefinitely.
In a statement released by the APC, signed by its spokesperson in the state, Seye Oladejo, the party congratulated Lagosians and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly and general members of the APC for finding an amicable solution to the rift within the House of Assembly.
Oladejo said the crux of the disagreement which had been mainly to draw the attention of the public and the party to intractable internal issues “stretched the well-tested and trusted internal conflict resolution mechanism of the party.”
He said, “As a truly democratic party, we refrained from needless interference in the affairs of the legislature whose independence we hold in high esteem.
“However, the House deferred to the party when the conflict festered and defied all suggestions for settlement.
“We want to put it on record that the members of the House officially briefed the party about the untoward development and requested wise counsel from the party just a few days ago.”
He said the party met with all the members and proffered practical solutions which were sacrificial, stabilising and in the best interest of the state.
“You may wish to note that our role remained basically advisory and could only be binding if upheld in the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly,” he added.
The Osun State chapter of the Accord Party has cautioned its members against anti-party activities in the forthcoming National and State Assembly elections.
A government house statement released in Osogbo on Wednesday added that the party warned that all members must support Accord candidates at the polls.
Rising from a closed door stakeholders’ meeting, the party noted several reports of Accord members allegedly backing candidates from PDP, APM, APP and even APC, directing that those members or leaders caught in such acts will face severe disciplinary actions.
The meeting presided over by Governor Ademola Adeleke passed a resolution that all disagreements over selection of legislative candidates should be resolved and the party must unite behind the candidates already fielded by the party.
Under no circumstances should any Accord member be caught sponsoring or working for legislative candidates of other political parties. Such behaviour will not be tolerated, the stakeholders meeting resolved.
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The meeting further directed a small committee to work on constituencies where such abnormalities are noted and take appropriate measures to stop the menace and even sanction the culprits if they persist in such anti-party conduct.
The Accord leadership in the state was also directed to activate monitoring actions to identify those involved in such conduct and call them to order as urgently as possible.
Meanwhile, Gov Adeleke used the Forum to register his gratitude to party members for their steadfast support during the turbulent electioneering process.
“I am deeply grateful to our party members for their depth of loyalty and courageous disposition throughout the democratic struggle. Osun people trusted us and they fought for us under the divine direction of God Almighty.
“We praise God Almighty, the courageous people of Osun state, the electoral commission and you, our loyal party members and leaders. I will remain steadfast in my commitment to the people, the party and God almighty.
“I task us to support our party candidates in the forthcoming legislative elections. We must avoid anti-party activities. Severe sanction awaits any party member who works against the candidates of the party.
“I have also tasked our candidates to reach out to all segments of the party. We must run an inclusive campaign. All shades of opinion must be mobilised for resounding success in future elections”, the governor admonished leaders at the stakeholders’ forum.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised the alarm over a fake online recruitment notice claiming that the commission has commenced the recruitment and training of ad-hoc staff ahead of the 2027 General Election.
INEC issued the warning on Monday, August 31, 2026, following the circulation of a message online directing prospective applicants to a website purportedly created for the recruitment exercise.
The electoral commission dismissed the information as false, stressing that the recruitment notice and website did not originate from it.
SEE MORE: 2027: ‘We Must Build the Table’ — Opposition Leaders Meet in Abuja to Challenge Tinubu
In a statement, INEC said, “The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to a message circulating online claiming that the Commission is currently recruiting and training ad-hoc staff for the 2027 General Election.”
The commission further clarified that the website being circulated is not its official recruitment portal.
“This information is not from INEC. The website/link being circulated is NOT an official INEC recruitment portal,” INEC stated.
The electoral body warned Nigerians against clicking on the link or providing personal information through the platform, particularly as fraudulent recruitment websites can be used to obtain sensitive details or solicit payments.
“Members of the public are strongly advised NOT to click on the link, submit personal information, upload documents or make any payment through the platform,” the commission warned.
INEC advised members of the public to rely only on its verified communication channels and official websites for information concerning recruitment and election-related activities.
“INEC’s official recruitment and election-related announcements are published through the Commission’s verified communication channels and official websites,” it said.
The commission directed Nigerians seeking authentic information to visit its official website, inecnigeria.org.
INEC also noted that it had previously warned the public about fraudulent websites and fake recruitment advertisements purporting to originate from the commission.
The electoral body urged Nigerians to disregard the latest notice and avoid further circulating it.
“Please disregard and do not circulate this false recruitment notice,” INEC said.
The commission concluded its warning with an appeal to Nigerians to verify the authenticity of online information before clicking on links or submitting personal details.
“Stay informed. Stay safe. Always verify before you click,” INEC stated.
Several opposition political leaders and prominent figures have converged on Abuja for a summit aimed at forging a united front ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The meeting, being held at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, attracted notable opposition figures including the Peoples Redemption Party presidential candidate, Donald Duke; Social Democratic Party presidential candidate, Adewale Adebayo; and former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu.
SEE MORE: ‘APC Is Irredeemable’ — Ex-Minister Timipre Sylva Dumps Party, Blasts Tinubu Govt
The summit was convened by political pressure group G-100 as part of efforts to bring opposition parties together to mount a stronger challenge against President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.
Also attending the gathering are the Allied Peoples Movement vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura; PRP National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; SDP vice-presidential candidate, Usman Bugaje; and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Fred Agbedi.
The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, and G-100 Convener, Salihu Lukman, are also among those participating in the summit.
Welcoming the dignitaries, Lukman urged opposition parties to put aside their differences and work towards a common objective of advancing the interests of Nigerians.
He stressed that the proposed cooperation was not about forcing political parties to dissolve or abandon their identities, but about creating a platform where they could work together towards a shared goal.
“We are not asking any political party to dissolve. Let us agree that we must build the table before negotiating the seats,” Lukman said.
The summit comes amid increasing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition parties and political actors exploring possible alliances and coalition arrangements.
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