KEY POINTS

• President Bola Tinubu is mediating the Lagos assembly crisis, meeting with key lawmakers, including Mudashiru Obasa and Mojisola Meranda, to restore unity and stability.
• The crisis began with Obasa’s impeachment and reinstatement, exposing deep divisions within the Lagos APC and raising concerns about governance in the state.
• Tinubu’s intervention is crucial for the APC’s future in Lagos, with the outcome of the meeting likely to impact the party’s cohesion and electoral prospects.

President Bola Tinubu has stepped into the ongoing crisis within the Lagos State House of Assembly, hosting a crucial meeting with Obasa and Meranda at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to TheCable, the meeting, which began on Wednesday afternoon, aims to resolve the political turmoil that has rocked the Lagos assembly in recent months.

Among those in attendance are Mudashiru Obasa, the reinstated Speaker, and Mojisola Meranda, who briefly held the position during the crisis.

The Lagos assembly crisis began in January when 36 lawmakers voted to impeach Obasa over allegations of “abuse of office and financial mismanagement.

” However, Obasa was later reinstated following the intervention of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos. Meranda, who briefly replaced Obasa before stepping down, is also present at the meeting, signaling a potential reconciliation.

Sources close to the matter revealed that the meeting is part of broader efforts to “restore unity within the Lagos APC and ensure stability in the state legislature.” The crisis has exposed deep divisions within the party, threatening its cohesion ahead of future elections. Tinubu’s intervention underscores the importance of resolving the dispute to maintain the APC’s dominance in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub.

The genesis of the crisis

The crisis erupted in January when a majority of lawmakers moved to impeach Obasa, accusing him of financial impropriety and autocratic leadership. The impeachment vote was seen as a bold move against a powerful figure within the Lagos APC.

However, the intervention of the GAC, led by prominent party leaders, reversed the decision and reinstated Obasa, sparking further tensions within the assembly.

Meranda, who briefly assumed the role of Speaker during the crisis, stepped down after Obasa’s reinstatement. Her presence at the meeting with Tinubu suggests a willingness to find common ground and move past the conflict. The lawmakers arrived at the Presidential Villa in a coaster bus, with Obasa arriving separately about 30 minutes later, highlighting the lingering tensions.