Lagos assembly adjourns indefinitely as move to remove speaker heightens

Amid commotion and outrage, the Lagos State House of Assembly adjourned its sitting indefinitely yesterday following the deployment of operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) to the parliament.

This deployment, viewed by some lawmakers and staff as an invasion, further escalated the ongoing turmoil within the assembly after Mudashiru Obasa’s removal as Speaker and the election of Mojisola Meranda as his replacement on January 13. Obasa was absent when he was removed and, upon his return, rejected the process and approached the court, insisting that he remains the speaker until “the right thing is done.”

Obasa’s removal split the leadership of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC).

Subsequently, reports emerged that President Bola Tinubu did not endorse Obasa’s ousting and allegedly ordered his reinstatement as Speaker.

The crisis reached a new level on Monday when DSS and police operatives stormed the assembly, sealing off the Speaker’s office, along with the Deputy Speaker’s and the Clerk’s offices.

For over an hour, security operatives prevented Meranda from accessing her office, allegedly on orders from above. In solidarity, lawmakers and staff rallied outside the assembly to support the speaker.

At 12:30 p.m., the chamber’s doors were opened, and assembly staff, chanting “Meranda, we want,” poured into the chamber. This led to a brief clash between DSS operatives and some legislative workers at the entrance.

As plenary was set to begin, DSS operatives again entered the chamber, attempting to disrupt proceedings. However, lawmakers and staff resisted the intrusion.

During the plenary, assembly members strongly condemned the security forces’ actions. Lawmakers, who spoke in succession, called on President Tinubu to intervene and hold the responsible officers accountable.

The assembly’s spokesperson, Stephen Ogundipe, condemned what he called the invasion and harassment, describing it as a “rape on democracy.” He said Kazeem Osho, representing Mushin 2, was rushed to the hospital after experiencing distress following the incident.

Hon. Sabur Oluwa, representing Ajeromi-Ifelodun 2, said the development was “unnecessary and unprofessional.” He said, “We are elected by the people to serve their interests. If we believe our Speaker is not serving those interests, we have the right to elect another. This should not be met with harassment. This is democracy.”

Gbolahan Ogunleye of Ikorodu 1, expressed sadness, saying he never imagined armed men would invade the Lagos Assembly. He urged the DSS Director-General to investigate the matter.

Assembly passes vote of confidence in Meranda

In the midst of the turmoil, the assembly passed a vote of confidence in Meranda, quelling rumours of her potential resignation. The motion was moved by Oladipo Ajomale, representing Oshodi-Isolo constituency 2, and seconded by Ogunleye. Majority Leader Temitope Adewale then moved a motion to adjourn plenary indefinitely, which was unanimously approved.

When contacted, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, denied any police involvement in sealing the assembly.

He said, “I am not aware of any police presence at the State House of Assembly and cannot comment on what I don’t know.”

Leaked memo shows DSS was invited to the assembly

But while the lawmakers described the deployment of the operatives of the DSS as an invasion, a leaked memo revealed that the secret police had been invited by the assembly’s management. The memo, allegedly written by the acting clerk, Mr. ATB Ottun, indicated that the security agency was summoned to prevent an attempt to reinstate Obasa as Speaker.

The letter, dated February 14, 2025, states that security agencies in Lagos were alerted to credible intelligence suggesting plans to forcefully reinstate the impeached Speaker on February 18, 2025.

The letter, titled URGENT: ENHANCED SECURITY MEASURES FOR LSHA PREMISES, was sent to the Director of DSS and the heads of other security agencies in Lagos. The Acting Clerk wrote, “There are credible reports that the impeached Speaker plans to resume office on February 18, 2025, posing a security threat to the Assembly. We request that you increase security measures around the Assembly premises from February 16, 2025, and maintain strict access control.”

There has been no official comment from either the APC or GAC, with numerous calls going unanswered.