Posted by Amarachi on Tue 04th Feb, 2025 - tori.ng
The crucial Monday meeting, which took place at Lagos House, Marina, the official residence of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was chaired by the leader of the GAC, Pa Tajudeen Olusi.
Twently Lagos West lawmakers have reportedly thrown their weight behind former deputy Speaker of the Lagos Assembly, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, to retain her position as the Speaker.
The decision was made by the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) of the Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) during an emergency meeting on Monday with Lagos State House of Assembly members to address the ongoing leadership crisis.
Recall that the House of Assembly crisis began after the former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, was removed in absentia on January 13, 2025, by 32 out of 40 Assembly members over allegations of financial misappropriation, misconduct, and high-handedness.
Obasa was replaced with Meranda, which sparked conflicting reactions among GAC members, party faithful, and loyalists of the lawmaker representing Agege constituency 1.
The crucial Monday meeting, which took place at Lagos House, Marina, the official residence of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was chaired by the leader of the GAC, Pa Tajudeen Olusi.
According to Vanguard, during the hours-long session, which saw widespread attendance from GAC members and Assembly lawmakers, there was overwhelming support for Meranda’s continued leadership despite opposition.
The key issue discussed was the need for regional balance in the Assembly leadership. With the current Governor and newly elected Speaker hailing from Lagos Central, some GAC members advocated ceding the Speakership to Lagos West, but the proposal did not gain traction.
About 20 lawmakers from Lagos West stood firm in their support for Meranda, rejecting the GAC’s proposal and effectively solidifying her position as Speaker.
A source at the meeting said, “The attempt to replace Meranda as Speaker failed. The discussions mainly focused on balancing the leadership between senatorial districts.”
It was gathered that Obasa enjoys backing from influential members of the Tinubu family and caucus, who had been pressuring the GAC to take action.