President Tinubu has allegedly ordered Sanwo-Olu, Akande, Ambode, and Osoba, among other APC bigwigs, to resolve the Lagos Assembly crisis amid pressure for Mojisola Meranda to resign.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that in a last-minute effort to resolve the Lagos State House of Assembly leadership crisis, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on key figures within the All Progressives Congress (APC) to mediate the situation.
According to The PUNCH, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alongside former governors Chief Bisi Akande (Osun), Chief Olusegun Osoba (Ogun), and Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), convened a high-level meeting at the Governor’s Lodge in Marina, Lagos, on Sunday. Other attendees included members of the Lagos Governance Advisory Council (GAC), APC Lagos Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, and former state chairman Tunde Balogun.
As of late Sunday night, the meeting was still ongoing, with party leaders expected to hold further discussions with Lagos lawmakers.
A source familiar with the matter disclosed that the meeting focused on resolving the speakership dispute between ousted Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and current Speaker Mojisola Meranda.
“The meeting is currently holding as we speak. The party chieftains will call the lawmakers for another round of discussions. It is all in a bid to resolve the crisis.
“Obasa wants to return as Speaker of the House to spend a little time before he finally resigns by himself. However, some lawmakers believe that once he returns to the seat, it will be hard to get him to leave the position.
“So President Tinubu, fed up with the prolonged crisis, drafted the party bigwigs to Lagos to find a way out,” the source said.
The crisis began on January 13, 2025, when 36 lawmakers voted to remove Obasa as Speaker and replaced him with Meranda, who was then the Deputy Speaker. Obasa has since challenged his removal in a Lagos State High Court, arguing that he was removed while the Assembly was in recess.
Possible Resolution: Meranda May Step Down for Setonji
Reports suggest that Meranda may step down in favor of Setonji David, a lawmaker from Badagry, as part of a compromise brokered by the APC leadership.
A Presidency source confirmed ongoing consultations, stating, “Well, it is true. There have been consultations, and it appears that she will step down.”
Another source indicated that President Tinubu advised party leaders to find a balanced solution that ensures fair representation, particularly for Lagos West, which currently lacks a key position in the state’s leadership.
“The President believes Lagos West should not be sidelined, and he is in support of a solution that accommodates all interests,” the source added.
Pressure has reportedly been mounting on Meranda to resign, with multiple meetings held to address the issue.
“There has been pressure on Meranda to resign. She was meant to read out her resignation last week at the House, but the lawmakers did not agree with her. So there have been meetings over this,” a source in the Assembly said.
A letter suggesting Meranda’s resignation surfaced last week but was never officially read out in the Assembly. Sources claim she is facing pressure from Abuja to step down.
Her aide, Segun Ajiboye, has denied the reports of her resignation.
A Facebook user, Ayoade Adeniyi, also commented on the situation, stating that the final resolution had yet to be reached.
“Olori Oko has given a direct order that the lady should step down. All the Honourable members were in Lagos House, Marina, with the Governor on February 22, 2025.
“We don’t know yet who he has directed should be made the Speaker.”
Adeniyi warned that reinstating Obasa could spark a serious backlash, though lawmakers were open to working with an alternative candidate.
