Politics

Lagos Assembly Crisis: How Akande-led Panel Forced Meranda Out, Reinstated Obasa

Published

7 months ago

March 4, 2025

The 49-day reign of Mojisola Meranda as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly ended on Monday, when the lawmakers re-elected Mudashiru Obasa to lead them.

The move is not unconnected to the resolutions of the mediating panel led by Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governors of Osun and Ogun states, who intervened in the leadership crisis that rocked the assembly for almost 50 days.

Over a week ago, the heavyweights in the All Progressives Congress, including the aforementioned former governors, were drafted by President Bola Tinubu to find a lasting solution to the Assembly leadership crisis which began when Obasa was removed by over 30 lawmakers on January 13, 2025.

Obasa was away in the United States when he was removed and replaced with his deputy, Meranda, a move that Obasa vehemently rejected, and even approached the court to challenge.

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.

Before the development, Obasa, Meranda and all the lawmakers had met with the leadership of the party in the 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 crefully 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.

Obasa, who took a fresh oath of office as the Speaker, pledged to Lagos residents that the assembly would continue to make laws for the progress of the state.

He appreciated the intervention of Akande and Osoba in resolving the crisis.

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.

Report had it earlier that part of the resolutions of the Akande-led panel who met with members of the Governance Advisory Council, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the lawmakers at Marina, was for Obasa to also resign after being re-elected as Speaker.

A GAC member, Chief Muraina Taiwo, who was at the meeting and spoke with The PUNCH in February, said that “The APC leaders, including Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Olusegun Osoba, came to mediate.

“They will go back to Abuja to brief our leader (Tinubu) how they feel about everything. They are suggesting to Speaker Obasa that he should step down and the other woman (Meranda) to also step down and they will bring in another new person.

“They are thinking of submitting a few names but all will land at the table of the leader.”

Another top source in the APC in the state had also said, “Meranda will step down and Obasa will also step down. They will now pick someone else from Lagos West.

“Lagos West is the largest senatorial zone in Lagos. The lawmakers seem to have agreed, otherwise, there won’t be peace.

“Part of the understanding is that the case the man (Obasa) took to court, he will withdraw it as well.”

However, it is not certain if the resolution still subsists, or if Obasa would resign anytime soon.

The GAC member, Chief Muraina, when asked about it in a telephone interview on Monday, said it was left for Obasa to resign or not, adding that the party was, however, in support of his return to the House as Speaker.

Chief Muraina said, “The whole party is in support. You can see the resignation address of the former Speaker. She did it wholeheartedly and she abided by the decision of the party.”

When asked if Obasa would be resigning, he said, “That is his own personal decision, If he chooses to resign tomorrow, fine, if he insists on staying on the seat, it’s left to him.

“Resignation is not by force unless a directive comes from the party’s leadership. For now, I don’t see him resigning. The party has not decided that he should resign.”

Another GAC member, Anthony Adefuye, said the party had allowed peace to reign in the House.

He said the resolution of the leadership crisis was due to the intervention of many people.

“Many of us intervened. We are happy and glad that the whole thing has been settled. Let us allow peace.

“God has given us a President, let us also behave like people who have a President, and let the town be peaceful,” the GAC member said.

The APC Chairman in Lagos, Cornelius Ojelabi, commenting on the development in an interview with The PUNCH, expressed satisfaction with the resolution of the House leadership crisis.

When asked about the resolution of the party that Obasa was to resign after Meranda, Cornelius said, “That (the current situation) is where the party resolved it for now. That’s where we resolved it.”

When quizzed further if Obasa would no longer be resigning, he said, “No, that’s where we resolved it. We just want peace in the House generally.

“The kind of harmonious relationship that existed among them before in the House, we want to try as much as possible to bring it back.”

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.

(PUNCH)

Politics

Probe Natasha’s Allegations Against Akpabio, Afenifere Urges FG

Published

24 hours ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has urged the Federal Government to investigate sexual harassment allegations levelled by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The call followed the Senate’s decision to lift Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension.

This, Afenifere said should not overshadow the need to establish the truth of her claims.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Afenifere’s National Organising Secretary, Kole Omololu, said the senator’s recall reflected commitment to the rule of law.

“We commend the Senate President, His Excellency Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Senate leadership for taking a decision that further reinforces the country’s rule of law,” Omololu said.

The group, however, insisted that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations must not be ignored.

“For over six months, where are the facts and evidence of her grave allegations?” Afenifere asked.

It called on the “Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to carry out a full investigation into the matter.”

Afenifere also recalled Akpoti-Uduaghan’s past false sexual harassment claims against former presidential aide Reno Omokri, which ended in an out-of-court settlement.

“Does this not suggest that, without proof, her allegations against Akpabio are suspicious?” Omololu asked.

The group further criticised Akpoti-Uduaghan for taking her claims to international media, including BBC, CNN, Sky News and Deutsche Welle, saying the move portrayed Nigeria negatively abroad.

It also queried her participation in a session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in New York.

“If Natasha truly participated in the IPU meeting without due nomination, then it simply revealed her compromise or manipulation of our public institutions for pecuniary ends,” the group said.

In March 2025, Natasha was suspended for six months after a row in plenary and her petition accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.

She claimed the incident happened in December 2023, but the Senate’s Ethics Committee dismissed her petition on procedural grounds. Despite a court order halting disciplinary action, the Senate went ahead with her suspension, which also froze her pay and barred her from official duties.

Akpoti-Uduaghan challenged the suspension in court, insisting it was tied to her allegations. While the Senate said it acted over misconduct, the case attracted global attention after she granted interviews to international media. The matter remains unsettled, with Afenifere now urging federal authorities to investigate her claims.

Meanwhile, Natasha formally resumed her duties at the National Assembly on October 7, 2025, after her six-month suspension ended – and immediately claimed that Akpabio is a dictator.

And almost immediately, Akpabio’s media aide Kenny Okolugbo debunked the claim.

Politics

2027: Drama As Atiku Disowns Media Consultant Over Statement On Yoruba

Published

2 days ago

September 25, 2025

Editor

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has denied any association with a media consultant named Kola Johnson.

This is as he also rejected statements released by the media consultant on Wednesday that he would protect Yoruba interests if elected as president in 2027.

Atiku, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, alleged that “faceless mercenaries” are behind the false press statement just to discredit him.

He also dismissed the claim as “false and offensive,” describing it as part of a calculated propaganda project to ridicule him in the media.

The statement specifically mentioned one Kola Johnson, described as a “self-styled media consultant,” who allegedly released a publication claiming that an Atiku administration would be dominated by a single ethnic group.

The statement read, “Our findings point directly to the Presidency, which, in its desperation to smear opposition leaders, has resorted to hiring faceless mercenaries to fabricate fake stories and circulate unauthorised statements on Atiku.

“Particularly offensive is the false claim attributed to this individual that an Atiku administration would be dominated by a single ethnic group. This disinformation is part of a calculated propaganda project designed to ridicule Atiku in the media.

“Let it be clear: Atiku Abubakar has never engaged one Kola Johnson as a media consultant, aide, or associate. Any statement issued in that name is fake and should be disregarded. We urge media houses that have published such falsehoods to immediately retract them.”

The statement also clarified that authentic information on the former Vice President is only released through his Media Adviser or Special Assistant on Public Communications.

“Editors and media gatekeepers are strongly advised to verify with the Atiku Media Office before publication,” the statement added.

It was widely reported on Wednesday that Atiku has assured people of the South-West geo-political zone that their interest would remain central to his policy direction if elected President in 2027, noting that his long-standing marital and cultural ties to the region make him family.

The report quoted a statement by one, Kola Johnson, as saying that the former Vice President spoke during an engagement with select stakeholders.

The report said Atiku described the people of the South-West as one of the finest species of the human race, noting that his marriage to a Yoruba woman in the 1970s forged a permanent bond between him and the Yorubas.

He dismissed fears of Hausa/Fulani domination under his leadership as unfounded, insisting that the Yoruba were his larger extended family and in-laws.

The former vice president added that his Yoruba connections extend beyond family, as some of his closest friends and associates were from the region.

“In case you don’t know or have forgotten, I was married to my first wife, Titi, a Yoruba woman, in the 70s, and we have four Yoruba children together. She is now over 75 years old, and we are still together.

“Besides, the Yoruba are so sophisticated and highly educated that you can only toy with them at your peril,” Atiku stated. “My Ijesha-born Yoruba wife is more than a wife to me. Aptly put, she is my Jewel of Inestimable value and anybody who knows about my family, even from a distance, can easily tell you this.”

Politics

PHOTOS: Atiku, El-Rufai, Tambuwal, Others Attends ADC Meeting In Abuja

Published

2 days ago

September 25, 2025

Editor

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Thursday attended a meeting of the African Democratic Congress coalition leaders in Abuja, alongside several prominent politicians.

Among those present were former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai; ex-Minister of Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; ADC National Chairman and former Senate President, David Mark; former Kwara State governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed; and ex-Sokoto governor, Aminu Tambuwal.

In a post on his official X handle, Atiku described the gathering as part of efforts to resist what he called entrenched interests holding back Nigeria’s development.

He stated that the meeting was also against the oligarchs who promote poverty and insecurity in the country.

He wrote, “I am currently at the stakeholders meeting of the Coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja. It’s a meeting of the Nigerian people against the oligarchs who promote poverty and insecurity in the land.”

The ADC coalition was adopted in July by opposition politicians as the platform to challenge for power in the 2027 general elections.

The African Democratic Congress, originally formed in 2005 as the Alliance for Democratic Change, later changed its name to ADC and was officially registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2011. The party positioned itself as a centrist alternative to the dominant Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress.

Over the years, it has attracted defectors and reform-minded politicians seeking to build a third force in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Other members of the coalition include former PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus; 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; former House of Representatives Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha; ex-Kogi Central Senator, Dino Melaye, and a former National Chairman of the APC, Odigie Oyegun.