Police Restore Meranda’s Security Details
… Majority Lawmakers reject Obasa
…Obasa presides over 4 Member plenary
…forces chamber open
The embattled former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, presided over plenary with four other members at the chamber.
The plenary is being conducted after the doors to the chamber were forced open by security personnel.
As at 3.pm, the plenary commenced and was still on-going till about 3.30pm.
Meanwhile, over 26 other members of the assembly were around but refused to enter the chamber in apparent loyalty and support to the substantive Speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
Obasa had earlier, reportedly, announced his return as Speaker, arguing that while impeachment is a constitutional and democratic process, it must be carried out following laid down procedures.
He was quoted as saying, “I’ve never been removed. Impeachment or removal is democratic and constitutional, but in doing that, you must follow due process. I am not against that. If I do that, then I am not democratic.”
Obasa was removed as speaker on January 13 while he was abroad, with Mojisola Meranda swiftly installed as his successor.
He has challenged his removal, maintaining that he is still the rightful speaker of the house.
Police authorities in Lagos have restored the security details attached to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mojisola Meranda.
Meranda’s security details were withdrawn on Thursday morning, leading to heightened tension in the Lagos Assembly speakership tussle.
But during a briefing hours after the move, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State Moshood Jimoh cited personnel audit as the reason for the withdrawal.
“As I speak with you, the audit of the police personnel attached to Hon. Mojisola Meranda has been completed, and the police personnel attached to her from the Lagos State Police Command have been returned to her for her protection,” the commissioner said on Thursday evening.
“It is pertinent to state that the ongoing police personnel audit has been on for several days now, and prominent personalities and individuals have been complying with the process. The exercise, once again, is not aimed or targeted at any individuals,” the commissioner told the gathering.
‘Never Been Removed’
The withdrawal of Meranda’s security aides added a fresh twist to the Lagos State Assembly crisis. The Apapa lawmaker had replaced Mudashiru Obasa as the speaker of the assembly after the latter was accused of impropriety.
But on Thursday, Obasa stepped into the Lagos Assembly complex with some of his supporters and insisted he is still the speaker of the House.
At the entrance of the Assembly, his supporters were heard chanting solidarity songs for the Agege I Constituency lawmaker.
“Obasa is the speaker,” he told reporters in one of his few public appearances since he was removed.
“I’ve never been removed. Impeachment or removal is democratic and constitutional but in doing that, you must follow the due process. I am not against that. If I do that, then I am not democratic,” Obasa insisted.
However, some Lagos lawmakers loyal to Meranda rejected Obasa’s insistence and argued that Meranda remains the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The Lagos Assembly crisis reached a new level on February 17 when some security agents and legislative workers had a clash in the House. But thirty-six lawmakers passed a vote of confidence on Meranda thereafter.
