The ousted Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has strongly denied allegations of stockpiling firearms in his office. Meanwhile, the current Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, has dismissed claims that she has resigned from her position.
Reports surfaced on Tuesday alleging that the Department of State Services (DSS) had discovered 47 pump-action guns during an inspection at the Lagos Assembly on Monday. Some versions of the reports suggested that the weapons were found in Obasa’s office, while others indicated they were located in the former Chief Security Officer’s office.
However, Obasa, in a statement released by his aide and personally signed by him on Wednesday, described the allegations as a fabrication designed to tarnish his reputation.
A DSS source, speaking to The PUNCH on Tuesday, also debunked the claims of firearms discovery, labeling them as false.
Obasa’s statement, titled “DSS Uncovers Arms Cache in Obasa’s Office Day After Lagos Assembly Drama”, read in part:
“The ill-conceived story, apart from being a complete concoction, clearly exposes its author and paymasters as maliciously of low intelligence quotient, only out to malign my hard-earned reputation spanning decades of political leadership and legislative hard work.
“From the foregoing, it is obviously discerning that my traducers are furtively attempting to call a dog a bad name just to hang it.
“I consider their purported sudden discovery of ‘cache of arms ammunition in the Speaker’s Office’ as nothing but an afterthought, having sensed the futility of their illegal actions.”
Meranda’s Office Dismisses Resignation Rumors
Similarly, the Chief Press Secretary to Speaker Meranda, Segun Ajiboye, refuted online reports suggesting that Meranda had resigned.
A viral letter, dated February 17, 2025, purportedly showing Meranda’s resignation, had been circulating on social media for two days.
Lagos Assembly Dismisses Defection Claims
In another development, the Lagos State House of Assembly has denied reports that 27 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have defected to the Labour Party (LP).
The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, Ogundipe Olukayode, issued a statement on Wednesday, affirming that the APC remains “united and focused”.
“The Lagos State House of Assembly wishes to categorically debunk the malicious and unfounded publication alleging that 27 members of the assembly are planning to defect from the ruling party to the opposition Labour Party. This publication is entirely false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.”
He added:
“The recent developments in the House, including the removal of the former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and the election of Mojisola Lasbat Meranda as the new Speaker, are purely internal matters. These actions were carried out in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
“We emphasize, without any ambiguity, that no member of the Assembly is contemplating defection.”
IPAC Calls for Peace in Lagos Assembly
Meanwhile, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos State has urged Obasa to allow peace to prevail.
The Chairperson of IPAC Lagos, Temilola Akinade, expressed disappointment over the ongoing crisis, which intensified on Monday when DSS operatives sealed the offices of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and the Assembly chambers.
Akinade stated:
“IPAC will no longer accept distraction at the Lagos State House of Assembly. It is enough in the assembly that prides itself as above the common standard of excellence.
“The outgone speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, has done his best for the state; let him calm down and give peace a chance.”
She emphasized that the law gives lawmakers the right to elect their Speaker and that Meranda had been duly chosen by the majority.
“The impeached speaker should allow Madam Speaker (Meranda) to continue from where he has stopped. The leadership crisis must come to an end.”
She also urged all stakeholders to prioritize stability in the Lagos Assembly.