The new Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, officially moved into the Speaker’s office yesterday amid heavy security around the Assembly complex.
Meranda was elected on January 13, 2025, to replace Mudashiru Obasa, the former speaker. She has been operating from the deputy speaker’s office, which she occupied before she was elected the new speaker.
LEADERSHIP gathered that security was beefed up in the Assembly complex because the impeached speaker, Obasa, had insisted when addressing his supporters on Saturday that he remains the Speaker of the House until due process was followed in removing him.
Many observers and groups had called on the state governor, Mr Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, to beef up security around the Assembly to avert the looming anarchy that may erupt if Hon Obasa reported at the Assembly Complex yesterday to assert his authority.
Obasa was removed by 32 members of the House two weeks ago due to allegations of misconduct and financial misappropriation, and Hon. Meranda subsequently replaced him.
Monday’s plenary sitting was the third session presided over by Hon. Meranda since she assumed office.
Ahead of the Monday sitting, the office of the acting Clerk, Mr Taiwo Otun, served a notice advising all staff and legislative aides of the House to come to the assembly complex with a means of identification because anybody without a valid ID would be denied entry.
The Lagos State Police Command had also assured it would maintain order in the state irrespective of what transpired at the assembly on Monday.
In an interview on Sunday, the state Commissioner of Police, Ishola Olawale, said that as much as the police had no business inside the assembly, it was his duty to maintain calmness outside the Assembly and everywhere in the state.
He said, “There won’t be any breakdown of law and order in the state. That will not happen. I don’t see any breakdown of law in the state, and if there is, it is inside the assembly, and I am not allowed to enter the assembly. But outside the assembly, there won’t be any breakdown of law and order in Lagos State, in whatever location, because that’s my job as a policeman.
“People will genuinely move about with their businesses, but anybody congregating anywhere to foment trouble will be decisively dispersed, and if they don’t (cooperate), they will be arrested”.
