. . . Obasa presides over plenary with only four members

Thirty-six of the 40 members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have reaffirmed their support for Speaker Mojisola Meranda, following the forceful takeover of her office by ousted Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

The lawmakers gathered at the Assembly garden on Thursday, standing by their February 17 vote of confidence in Meranda, despite Obasa?s return, allegedly aided by armed men and thugs.

A lawmaker, speaking anonymously, emphasized that they remain committed to ensuring Obasa?s removal stands.

?He was not elected as Speaker by his constituency. We endured his master-slave leadership for nearly a decade. Now, we?ve had enough, and we?re not backing down,? the lawmaker stated.

Meanwhile, two lawmakers?Ayinde Akinsanya (Mushin Constituency I) and Noheem Adams (Mushin Constituency II)?were spotted accompanying Obasa into the Assembly complex.

At the time of filing this report, Obasa?s loyalists had forced open the Speaker?s office, while thugs reportedly occupied strategic areas of the complex. Armed miscreants were also seen making threats, vowing to seize all offices in the Assembly.

Access roads to the complex have been blocked by suspected Obasa supporters, who arrived in unmarked Kombi buses, forcing motorists to take alternative routes.

Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, Stephen Ogundipe, condemned the situation, urging calm.

?This is Lagos, the State House of Assembly. We are shocked by what is happening today. If there is an issue, leadership should address us directly, not subject us to this charade,? Ogundipe stated.

He described the disruption as an embarrassment, recalling how security operatives prevented him from entering the Assembly.

?We reject Obasa in totality,? he declared.

However, addressing the press, Obasa insisted he remains the Speaker and denied being impeached.

?I was on vacation, and I am back, which means the House is in session. There is nothing like impeachment. Any attempt to remove me must follow due process,? Obasa stated.

He maintained that he holds no grudges against his colleagues and insisted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains a united party.

?Obasa is the Speaker,? he concluded.

He later started presiding over plenary with four other members at the chamber.

The plenary is being conducted after the doors to the chamber were forced open by security personnel.

As at 3.pm, the plenary commenced and was still on-going till about 3.30pm.

Meanwhile, over 26 other members of the assembly were around but refused to enter the chamber in apparent loyalty and support to the substantive Speaker, Mojisola Meranda. (Pieced together from separate Vanguard report)