Mudashiru Obasa, on Monday, returned as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, following a resignation from Mojisola Meranda.
The return of Obasa, earlier removed by over majority members of the House, was dramatic, seeing Meranda returned to her former position as Deputy Speaker.
Both Meranda and Obasa had stormed the Assembly complex Monday morning, as fears mounted over the likelihood of a showdown and breakdown of law and order.
Following a strategic meeting involving Obasa, Meranda, Lagos State Attorney General, Lawal Alade Pedro (SAN), APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, and 38 lawmakers at the Assembly garden, Meranda presided over the plenary session that ushered in a return to status quo.
Obasa, who is believed to be a close ally to President Bola Tinubu had contested his removal while instituting a lawsuit. His reinstatement was said to be due to President Tinubu’s intervention, who prevailed in the situation, setting up the architecture for Obasa’s return.
Crisis hit the Assembly following the removal of Mr Obasa and former Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, by 32 lawmakers on January 13, 2025, electing Meranda as the substantive speaker.
Presidency and other principal actors in the crisis revealed that overtures have been made to legislatures to soft-pedal and support the embattled former Speaker.
It was also gathered that members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) were also asked to rein in the anti-Obasa lawmakers.
This followed the disbandment of the Bisi Akande committee over its findings on the matter.
It was learned that the committee was disbanded owing to the report it submitted after its visit that the odds were against Obasa.
The President had set up a high-powered committee of the party led by Bisi Akande and members including former Ogun State Governor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, and former APC National Vice Chairman, South-west, Pius Akinyelure and others to resolve the crisis.
It was further gathered that after the disbandment of the Akande committee, members of GAC were asked to rein in their loyalists in the Assembly and executive to reinstate Obasa.
It was gathered that the return of Obasa was largely not unconnected with the interest of the President to reinstate him as the Speaker, though about 36 members of the Assembly members threw their weight behind Meranda.
The embattled former Speaker had dragged Meranda, the Assembly and 36 lawmakers to court challenging what he described as his ‘unlawful’ removal.
Justice Yetunde Rukayat Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, last Friday, adjourned the hearing of all pending applications in the lawsuit filed by Obasa, to March 7.
With the political compromise, however, it is unlikely the case will press further,