Chaos in Lagos Assembly as Speaker Meranda Presides Over Plenary Amid Heavy DSS Presence

Armed officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) sealed the office of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, on Monday, amid reports that some forces were pushing for the return of former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. The action led to a tense standoff between legislative workers and security personnel, causing significant disruption at the Assembly complex in Alausa.

The security deployment came weeks after Obasa’s removal as Speaker on January 13, 2025, when the legislative members voted him out over alleged misconduct. His former deputy, Meranda, was immediately elected to replace him. However, Obasa has since rejected his removal, insisting that due process was not followed and maintaining that he remains the rightful speaker.

This morning, lawmakers and the assembly workers resisted the security operatives who attempted to restrict access to the legislative chambers. After hours of confrontation, Meranda could finally enter her office and preside over plenary, as lawmakers chanted in solidarity with her and passed a vote of confidence in her leadership, after which she suspended plenary indefinitely.

The incident in the state assembly coincides with the deployment of a new Commissioner of Police for Lagos, Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, by the Police Service Commission. While no official reason was given for the change, some Nigerians have linked it to the ongoing power struggle within the Lagos Assembly.

Meanwhile, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s 2023 Lagos governorship candidate, has condemned sealing the speaker’s office and militarising the assembly complex. Describing it as an assault on democratic institutions and a dangerous attempt to undermine the independence of the legislative arm, Rhodes-Vivour called for the immediate withdrawal of DSS operatives and demanded a public explanation for the action.

The Lagos State House of Assembly is the people’s house—a symbol of our democratic values and aspirations. All well-meaning Lagosians must resist any attempt to undermine their independence through intimidation tactics. Therefore, I call for the immediate withdrawal of DSS operatives from the assembly complex and demand a full public explanation of the legal basis for this action,” he said.

Read:

• Trauma, Difficult Experiences, and the Hope for Healing
• Nigeria’s Inflation Drops to 24.48% After CPI Rebasing, Hardship Persists 

About The Author

Oluwasegun Sanusi

author

See author's posts