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Northern Women Forum (NWF) has called on former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, and his supporters, to accept his removal in good faith and support the new leadership rather than allegedly plotting to reclaim the position.
Obasa was removed as Speaker on Monday, January 13, 2025, following a leadership change backed by an overwhelming majority of lawmakers.
The Forum said the transition reflects the democratic principle of separation of powers and called for full respect for the will of the legislature while cautioning that it will not watch people with overtly primitive political ambition to destroy democracy.
In a statement in Lagos on Thursday, NWF President, Awakulu Mafaji, emphasized that the Speaker’s position is not an entitlement but a privilege granted by fellow lawmakers.
The group urged Obasa and his cronies to prioritise peace and allow his successor, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, to move the Assembly forward without interference.
Mafaji stressed that the group’s backing of Meranda’s emergence as the first female Speaker in over five decades will not change, stressing that her leadership would enhance inclusivity, transparency, and democratic freedom in Lagos State.
The Women’s group also called on stakeholders to protect Meranda from intimidation, warning against attempts to undermine the democratic process.
They noted that the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu deserves praise in the way and manner he has stayed away from the issues rocking the Lagos Assembly which depicts his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu and commitment to his party’s vision and Programme.
“We will not allow anybody to use his Politically Primitive ambition to destroy our democracy. Obasa’s removal was done legitimately and in broad daylight; therefore it’s time for him to quit pondering over some bad ideas and move on.
“The speaker of the legislative assembly is only first among equals and should be seen by any occupier at any given time as a rare privilege and not an entitlement.
“Lagos is bigger than Obasa, our democracy is bigger than any politician hence the democracy in Lagos must not be undermined but must remain standing.
“So we strongly advise Hon. Obasa to move on, accept fate, and show maturity by supporting the current speaker and her team. He should also take the message to his cronies and associates. Obasa must let his boys know that there is no need for chaos and that Hon. Meranda’s leadership has come to stay.
“We also want to use this avenue to declare our overwhelming support for Hon. Meranda, the current speaker having emerged as the choice of the greater majority of the Lagos Assembly. We all owe her our unalloyed support at this point and must stand together against people that want to destabilize due process and good governance Lagosians are enjoying,” Mafaji stated.
She added, “We urge Rt. Hon. Speaker, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda not to be distracted by detractors and selfish interlopers undermining democracy by seeking to upturn popular legislative decisions that became expedient in the desire to move the legislative assembly forward.
“Attempt to foist Rt. Hon Obasa as a perpetual and untouchable speaker of LAHA is a huge disservice to democracy and most unwarranted assault on the collective integrity of Lagosians and the generality of the electorate,” the group warned.
