Lagos Speakership: IGP Withdraws Security From Oba Oniru As Lawmakers Reject Obasa’s Return

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have rejected the return of Mudashiru Obasa as the Speaker of the state assembly.

THE WHISTLER reports that Obasa stormed the Assembly complex on Thursday and gained access to the speaker’s office by force with the aid of his security detail, which was restored some hours earlier.

While his security detail was being restored, Mojisola Meranda, another claimant to the speakership, was being withdrawn.

It was Obasa’s first appearance since his removal on January 13.

This was as THE WHISTLER authoritatively gathered that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the withdrawal of police providing security at the Oniru of Iruland, Oba AbdulWasiu Omogbolahan Lawal.

The Oba is a brother to Meranda.

Meranda had assumed the position of the speaker in what Obasa and his camp said was a coup. Obasa was in the US when he was removed as speaker.

Obasa, who arrived with police and State Security Service (SSS) escorts in a flamboyant manner, declared his resumption as the leader of the parliament.

“I’ve resumed, and I remain the Speaker of the Assembly,” Obasa said.

A source told THE WHISTLER that police personnel stationed at the Oniru of Iruland’s palace, as well as those at the Lagos State House of Assembly complex, had also been withdrawn.

According to the source, the directive allegedly came from the Inspector-General of Police (IG), who also ordered that the Oba’s security detail be withdrawn.

Addressing journalists, Stephen Ogundipe, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, expressed shock over the incident.

“We were approached by our leaders that we should remain calm and take things easy,” he said.

“But we are shocked to see what is happening today. We are still expecting them to come and tell us where we went wrong. We won’t take laws into our hands.”

He added that all lawmakers represent different constituencies and have their mandates, emphasizing that any major decision should involve the Assembly members.

Whatever has to happen, the leadership should speak with us—not this charade that we are seeing. We are not happy.”

Ogundipe expressed disappointment, noting that Lagos, as the Centre of Excellence, should not be experiencing such political drama.

“We want to be respected, to be given our dignity, to be shown that we were elected. I’m appealing to the leadership of our party that we cannot continue this way,” he said.

He criticized Obasa’s actions, stating that since the former Speaker had already taken the matter to court, he should have allowed the legal process to determine the outcome, and described what happened at the Assembly as an embarrassment.

Obasa was removed from office on January 13 over allegations of misconduct levelled against him by his colleagues. Despite this, he continues to assert his claim as the rightful Speaker.

His return follows interventions from top figures within the All Progressives Congress (APC), including former Osun and Ogun State governors, Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba.

Reports indicate that a panel set up by the APC leadership has recommended the resignation of both Obasa and Meranda, paving the way for a new Speaker from Lagos West.