Lagos Assembly crisis: I’ve not resigned — Speaker Meranda

•No lawmaker defected to LP — Spokesman

•Says lawmakers remain committed to APC

•Discovery of firearms in my office, a concoction — Obasa

•As women groups condemn Assembly invasion

THE Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Meranda has denied reports claiming she resigned from her position, insisting that she remains the Speaker.

Speculation about Meranda’s resignation began after an online report suggested she had stepped down.

The Speaker, who spoke through her Chief Press Secretary, Segun Ajiboye, said: “I’m in the office. The speaker is in the office. I don’t know where that is coming from.

“It is a lie from the pit of hell. There is no truth in the story. I am doing my work as the CPS, the Speaker is in her office as we speak and everybody is going about his or her business. We do not know where the story is coming from. The Speaker has not resigned and there is no plan for that.”

A circular dated February 17, 2025, allegedly released by Meranda had been trending for two days, with the content claiming she had resigned.

However, checks on the letter circulating on social media showed it wasn’t signed by anyone.

The Lagos Assembly had been rocked with a leadership crisis since the former Speaker Mudashiru was impeached.

No lawmaker defected to LP — Assembly spokesman

Also, members of the Assembly have debunked claims that 27 members are planning to defect from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Labour Party, LP.

The House described the claim as “malicious, fake,” and intended to mislead the public.

The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Ogundipe Olukayode, while reacting to social media reports, stressed that the publication is entirely false, misleading and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.

The statement titled ‘Re: Alleged Defection of 27 Lagos Assembly Members to Labour Party,’ reads: “The Lagos State House of Assembly wishes to categorically debunk the malicious and unfounded publication alleging that twenty-seven members of the Assembly are planning to defect from the ruling party to the opposition Labour Party, LP. This publication is entirely false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.

“We find this report not only offensive but also riddled with inaccuracies and outright falsehoods that serve no purpose other than to sow discord and confusion within the Assembly and among the good people of Lagos State.

“The recent developments in the House, including the removal of the erstwhile Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and the election of Mrs Mojisola Meranda as the new Speaker, are purely internal matters. These actions were carried out by the constitution.

“These events in no way suggest any intention by members to leave the party. We emphasize, without any ambiguity, that no member of the Assembly is contemplating defection. 

“We were elected under the leadership of the ruling party, the ruling party remains united and focused on delivering its mandate to the people of Lagos State. The falsehood being spread originates from agents of destabilization who seek to create unnecessary tension and division within the Assembly.  

“To our party leaders and supporters across the state, we assure you that all members remain committed to the party."

Discovery of firearms in my office, a concoction — Obasa

Meanwhile, the embattled former Speaker, Mr Obasa, yesterday, described the purported reports of some firearms allegedly uncovered inside his office as a “concoction.”

Obasa, in a statement titled ‘Re: DSS uncovers arms cache in Obasa’s office day after Lagos Assembly drama’, said: “In their haste to criminally defame my person, their laughable story, an 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 revealed that the discovery came a day after an uproar occasioned by the presence of the DSS in the assembly complex.

“I consider their purported sudden discovery of “cache of arms ammunition” in the Speaker’s office as nothing but an afterthought, having sensed the futility of their illegal actions. Now, 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 End SARS protest brouhaha.

Women groups condemn invasion of Assembly

Meanwhile, no fewer than 60 women groups, yesterday, condemned the invasion and harassment of members of the Lagos State House of Assembly by security operatives, saying it was a gross violation of the rights of the lawmakers and an unacceptable form of interference in the democratic process.

The Co-convener of Womanifesto, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, who addressed newsmen in Lagos, said: “We as civil society organisations, dedicated to advancing the rights of women in governance, politics, and leadership, express concerns over recent developments surrounding the new Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and the election of Mrs Mojisola Meranda, including the invasion of the House.

“We affirm that the processes leading to the removal of Mr Mudashiru Obasa and the election of Mrs Meranda complied with the provisions outlined in Sections 92 and 96 of the Constitution, which govern the removal of a Speaker and the election of a new one. 

“We demand that all state actors respect the legislature’s independence and refrain from using coercion or intimidation to influence the actions of the Assembly. Elected representatives must be allowed to perform their duties without fear or external pressure, ensuring that democracy remains intact and fully functional.”