BY: Oluwaseye Ogunsanya
Claim
Unconfirmed news making the rounds suggests that the newly elected speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda has tendered her resignation as the speaker of the Assembly.
Verdict
False. Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda has not resigned as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Full Text
Unconfirmed news making the rounds suggests that the newly elected speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda has tendered her resignation as the speaker of the Assembly.
Photo Credit: Screenshot of the claim/X
The resignation letter which was purportedly written and signed by Meranda and addressed to members of the assembly, cited the recent political turmoil which is threatening the cohesion of the Assembly as part of her reason.
“I did not arrive this decision lightly, indeed, I took into careful consideration all the primary and intervening circumstances that culminated in my election as Speaker on the 13th of January, 2025, on the one hand and the recent political turmoil which is threatening the cohesion of this Honourable House on the other hand” the letter reads in part.
The Lagos State House of Assembly has been experiencing unrest in recent times due to the removal of the erstwhile former Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa.
Obasa who has represented Agege Constituency 1 in the Assembly since 2003 and has been the speaker since 2015 was impeached in absentia on January, 13 2025 by his fellow lawmakers for gross misconduct and abuse of office. He however challenged his impeachment upon return to the country, declaring that he remained the speaker.
Efforts by the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the apex advisory organ in Lagos State to resolve the issue has proved abortive as the embattled lawmaker approached the State High Court in Ikeja to challenge his impeachment as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, claiming that the lawmakers were wrong to have removed him when the Assembly was on recess.
The crisis took another turn on Monday as operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) stormed the Assembly complex and attempted to seal off the entire complex as well as the office of the Speaker, Mrs Mojisola Lasbat Meranda. But the Assembly workers and lawmakers prevented the DSS officers from carrying out their action.
However, DSS clarified through a source that contrary to reports by a section of the media that its operatives stormed the state Assembly, sealing offices of the Speaker and his deputy, it was the Assembly that invited security agents to maintain law and order.
Citing a leaked letter dated February 14, 2025, the source told This Day Newspaper that the Assembly management informed security agencies in Lagos that there was credible information that plans were afoot to forcefully reinstate the former Speaker of the Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, on February 18, 2025.
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly however disagreed with DSS’ clarification, insisting that the operatives of the security agency sealed the offices of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Acting Clerk on Monday.
The Assembly also clarified that while the Acting Clerk had previously requested security presence at the complex, this was not an invitation for the DSS to obstruct legislative functions. They described the DSS’ actions as an infringement on the independence of the legislature and a direct assault on democratic governance.
A statement by Ogundipe Olukayode, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, titled: “Publication of Letter to DSS.” reads in part that: “The events of today (Monday) raise serious concerns about undue interference in legislative affairs. The sanctity of the Lagos State House of Assembly was undermined by armed DSS operatives who actively obstructed lawmakers from performing their constitutional duties.”
Verification
To verify the accuracy of this claim, FactCheckAfrica conducted a Google search and other social media platforms. We found different unconfirmed reports and speculations by some media platforms and social media platforms stating that Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda Allegedly Resigns as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
However, no official reports were found indicating that the Speaker had resigned. Instead we found multiple reports stating that members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have reaffirmed their trust in Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda as the substantive Speaker by passing a vote of confidence in her leadership.
During Monday’s plenary session presided by Meranda despite the tense atmosphere, Oladipo Ajomale, representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 2, moved a motion to affirm the Assembly’s confidence in her leadership. Ajomale emphasized that Meranda’s election was conducted in line with the Nigerian Constitution and other relevant laws.
“We elected you as Speaker because we believe in you. We will demonstrate publicly that this decision was made by duly elected members of the House,” Ajomale stated.
Following the vote, the House adjourned plenary indefinitely.
Similarly, we contacted a member of the House representing Alimosho Constituency 01 Hon. Luqman Olatunji Orelope, who said it’s “fake news”
Photo Credit: Screenshot of Hon. Orelope’s Response
Conclusion
Following the foregoing, it can be concluded Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda hasn’t resigned as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
