The intrigues trailing the upheavals in the Lagos State House of Assembly took a turn for the worse on Thursday morning following the withdrawal of all the police escorts of the Speaker, Rt, Hon, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda.
The withdrawal of the security details has escalated across the state, with several groups condemning the action of the police authorities.
The groups are expressing fears of the safety of the Speaker, stating that the withdrawal of her security detainls has exposed her to danger.
“What exactly do they want. This woman did not impose herself on the House. Her choice as Speaker was a unanimous decision of the House. By removing her security details, they have simply exposed her to unecessary danger. This is not good for our country. It is not good for our democracy. All these dangerous politics must stop.
Several women groups have also described the withdrawal as an attack on all women in Nigeria, claiming that Princess Meranda is being victimised because of her gender.
“I tell you, all these are happening to the Speaker because she is a woman. We know all those behind the crisis, and it is high time they realised that they cannot continue to push women down in the politics of Nigeria. We are still deliberating on what to do, and by the time we are ready, they will realise that women too have powers to defend a fellow woman,” a leader of the women groups stated.
Another woman leader in the state, who pleaded anonymity, called for action from the women groups in the country. “The time has come for all women in the country to join hands and defend a fellow woman. Speaker Meranda has displayed a true quality of a well-brought-up princess, but the men are not seeing this. All they want is to relegate us to the background in the scehem of things. All her colleagues came together to pick her, but they are okay with. The question that should be asked now is if they act same way if Meranda were their daughter,”
Aside the women, many Nigerians have spoken against the attempts by the powers to arm-twist the assembly members.
“I pray they listen to the words of reasoning right now before this consumes every one of us. What exac tly do they want? This is not democracy. Any good democrat would have commended members of the Lagos assembly for their decision to stand by their choice of Speaker. It is democracy at work and I fear that this may hurt of party if nothing is done to stop it now,” an APC chieftain said.
The former speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, was removed by an overwhelming majority of the 40-member house on Monday, January 13, 2025, over several allegations of impropriety and high-handedness.
Following Obasa’s removal, the members chose Mojisola Meranda as their leader and new speaker. However, some powers that be have since turned the House into a battle ground in their desperate efforts to remove her.
While several sources have pointed fingers at the presidency as being behind the crisis in the House, the Speaker and all the members have remained calm, maintaining their sacred vows to serve their constituencies and indeed the entire people of Lagos State.
To prove their resolve, 36 members of the 40-member House, on 17 February, 2025, passed a strong vote of confidence in the Speaker, urging her to continue with the good works she has embarked on.