Lagos Assembly Crisis: Emotional Meranda Agrees To Step Down As Speaker Only On One Condition
Fresh indications suggest that the embattled Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, has agreed to step down—but only if the process takes place during a plenary session, sources revealed.
The Assembly had adjourned indefinitely on February 17 after 36 out of 40 members passed a vote of confidence in Meranda’s leadership.
However, following interventions by key figures within the All Progressives Congress (APC), a resolution was reached for her to step aside, allowing Lagos West to produce the next Speaker.
Multiple sources confirmed to Vanguard that while Meranda has consented to resign, the condition remains that it must happen on the Assembly floor during plenary.
One source explained, “If the Speaker would agree to resign, it has to be done during plenary when the House reconvenes. There are procedures for doing things like that. Madam Speaker cannot just resign like that without due process.
“It has to be during plenary, and until plenary is reconvened, we cannot say otherwise. We cannot say when the House will reconvene, therefore, the status quo remains.”
APC Leaders, Abuja Delegates Step In
To resolve the crisis, APC leaders, including former National Chairman Bisi Akande, former Ogun State Governor Aremo Olusegun Osoba, and NNPC Board Chairman Pius Akinyelure, have stepped in to mediate. Delegates from Abuja have also been holding meetings with stakeholders to restore peace in the House.
Sources disclosed that principal officers and House members had an initial meeting over the weekend, with another round of talks expected soon.
Lagos West To Produce Next Speaker
Meanwhile, the Speakership position has been zoned to Lagos West, with eight lawmakers shortlisted as potential successors. They include:
Setonji David (Badagry Constituency 2),Temitope Adewale (Ifako-Ijaye 1), Kehinde Joseph (Alimosho 1), Adedamola Kasunmu (Ikeja 2), Lukman Olumoh (Ajeromi-Ifelodun 1), Wale Rauf Sulaimon (Mushin Constituency 2), Nureni Akinsanya (Mushin Constituency 1), and Surajudeen Tijani (Ojo 2).
With political negotiations still ongoing, all eyes are on the Assembly’s next plenary session, where Meranda’s resignation and the emergence of a new Speaker could happen.
