Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, was notably absent on Friday as Mojisola Meranda, the newly appointed Speaker, presided over her first plenary session following Obasa’s removal.
The plenary, which commenced at 11 a.m., saw the attendance of a majority of lawmakers representing various constituencies.
Obasa, who represents Agege Constituency 1, was ousted on Monday by a majority of the House members over allegations of misconduct and financial misappropriation. Before his removal, it was reported that Obasa was on vacation abroad, with sources indicating he was in Atlanta, United States. It remains unclear if he has returned to Nigeria.
Since his removal, Obasa has yet to address the allegations publicly.
During Friday’s session, Meranda, the first female Speaker of the Lagos Assembly, announced the new principal officers of the House.
In her address, Meranda pledged to “work tirelessly to uphold the principles of transparency, good governance, and other noble tenets that this noble House stands for.”
Barely 24 hours after being sworn in as Speaker, the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) endorsed the emergence of Meranda.
The GAC is the highest decision-making body of the party in the state.
The GAC leadership endorsed Meranda as the new Speaker at a closed-door meeting with some key principal officers held at Lagos House, Marina.
