Lawmakers and staff of the Lagos State House of Assembly wept in the full glare of those present on Monday when the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, tendered her resignation letter to allow the previously impeached speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, to return to his position.
LEADERSHIP reports that the House had been engulfed in crisis since January 13 when Hon Mudashiru Obasa was removed as Speaker.
Most of the lawmakers and Assembly staff who spoke without inhibition applauded Meranda over how she led the House within the 49 days she was the speaker of the House, saying reversing the situation was a return to a reign of tyranny in the Assembly.
Before her resignation, Meranda who was the first female speaker of the state, and Obasa had earlier held a meeting with lawmakers, with Lawal Pedro, the Lagos State attorney general, and Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, in their midst.
Meranda was reappointed as the Deputy Speaker, while Mudashiru Obasa took the oath of Office as the Speaker. Also, Hon Sanni Okanlawon resigned as the Deputy Chief Whip, while Hon Setonji David resigned as the Chief Whip.
In the meantime, Hon. David was reelected as the Deputy Chief after being nominated by Hon. Kehinde Joseph. Hon. Richard Kasunmu returned as the Deputy Majority Leader, while Hon. Adewale Temitope retained the position.
Similarly, Deputy Speaker Mojeed Fatai resigned and was elected as the Chief Whip. Meranda returned as the new deputy speaker.
With this development, Meranda served as the Speaker for 49 days before bowing to the All Progressives Congress (APC) party supremacy principle.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the development was decided at the strategic meeting of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) with members of the House on Sunday. (Leadership)
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