Kehinde Fajobi
Mojisola Meranda, the newly appointed Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, presided over her first plenary session on Friday following the removal of former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
The plenary, which commenced at 11 a.m., saw the attendance of a majority of lawmakers representing various constituencies. However, Obasa, who represents Agege Constituency 1, was absent.
Obasa was ousted on Monday by a majority of House members over allegations of misconduct and financial misappropriation.
Reports suggest he was on vacation in Atlanta, United States, prior to his removal. His current whereabouts remain unclear, and he has not issued any statement addressing the allegations.
In her inaugural address, Meranda pledged to prioritise transparency and good governance.
She said, “I will work tirelessly to uphold the principles of transparency, good governance, and other noble tenets that this noble House stands for.”
Meranda, the first female Speaker in the history of the Lagos Assembly, also announced new principal officers during the session.
Her leadership received a major boost barely 24 hours after her swearing-in, with the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) endorsing her as Speaker.
The endorsement was formalised during a closed-door meeting with key principal officers at Lagos House, Marina, underscoring broad party support for her emergence.