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The members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Monday, expressed their confidence in the new speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda....TAP HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY..>>
The renewed confidence followed the rumour of planned resignation by the speaker, even as the lawmakers pledged their unalloyed support to Meranda.
This is as the lawmakers called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call the Department of State Services (DSS) to order and stop further invasion of the Assembly, charging that the officers involved in the invasion be brought to justice.
Consequently, thirty-seven members of the 40-member reaffirmed their trust in Rt. Hon. Meranda as the substantive speaker by passing a vote of confidence in her leadership.
During Monday’s plenary, Oladipo Ajomale, representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 2, moved a motion to affirm the Assembly’s confidence in her leadership.
Ajomale emphasised that Meranda’s election was conducted in line with the Nigerian constitution and other relevant laws.
“We elected you as speaker because we believe in you. We will demonstrate publicly that this decision was made by duly elected members of the House,” Ajomale stated.
He then called on lawmakers to affirm their vote of confidence in Meranda, urging them to stand and raise their hands, a request they unanimously complied with, as seen in viral videos of the session.
Hon. Adewale Temitope, member representing Ifako Ijaiye 01, who added his voice to the call, said, “Madam Speaker, the 37 members of this hallowed chamber of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu House of Assembly have spoken.
A vote of confidence has been passed in your leadership.” Following the vote, the House adjourned plenary indefinitely.
The heavily armed DSS and police officers had earlier sealed off the offices of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Clerk of the House.
However, despite the tensed atmosphere, Meranda presided over the session, asserting her authority as speaker.
The crisis followed the recent removal of Mudashiru Obasa from the position. Hundreds of staff of the Assembly trooped out in solidarity with the speaker.
They sang various songs of solidarity, affirming the support for the lawmakers’ decision to elect Meranda to lead them following the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as speaker in January.
It took the combined efforts of the legislative staff and lawmakers to chase the armed security personnel out of the chamber, while they also called on the president to call the invaders to order.
Mover of the motion, Hon. Kehinde Joseph, also moved that the DG of DSS must be called to answer for the invasion.
Spokesman of the House, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, described the invasion and harassment as a rape on democracy.
One of the lawmakers, Hon. Kazeem Osho, representing Mushin 2, was rushed to the hospital for an emergency care following the invasion.
Reacting to the invasion, the lawmaker representing Ajeromi-Ifelodun 2, Hon. Sabur Oluwa, described the invasion and harassment as unnecessary and unprofessional.
He said, “The harassment is unnecessary and unprofessional on the part of the state security. I’m still shivering. We are elected by the people to protect the interests of the people. “If we have a speaker we believe is not protecting our interest and of the people, we have decided to elect another that would serve the people.
That shouldn’t be a problem. This is what democracy is all about. I don’t think this calls for harassment and assault on democracy.”
The lawmaker representing Ikorodu 1, Hon Gbolahan Ogunleye, called for the investigation of the invasion.
He said, “I’m sad today. I have never thought a day like this would come when armed men would invade Lagos Assembly. I implore the DSS DG to investigate this. I also call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and bring the perpetrators to justice.
This is indeed a rape on democracy.” On his own, the lawmaker representing Kosofe 2, Hon Femi Saheed, described the forceful entry into the hallowed chamber as an abuse of legislative rules and procedure.
He said, “It is an abuse on legislative rules and procedure. What we are here to do is to debate on issues that would move the society forward but what happened today is an aberration.
We pride ourselves as House that is above all standard but what happened today suggests that we need to call on the government to tell us if they have right to tell us who to lead us. What happened today is an eye sore.”
Hon. Abiodun Tohun, representing Epe 1 condemned in totality the invasion of the security operatives. He said, “I condemn in totality the activities of security operatives. It is the voice of the people and not government with barrel of gun.
Supremacy belong to the people and that is what we are doing in the chamber. What happened this morning is an aberration.
We should not allow anarchy and harassment. “It is the activities of overzealous officers that want to impress some interests.
We were given a mandate to represent the people and nobody should dictate how we operate. Nobody has the right to dictate to us what to do.
“When we chose the last speaker, nobody intervened so when we decided to change leadership, it is nobody’s business. If anybody feels aggrieved, such person should head to court and not for some officers to invade the chamber.
“This is an embarrassment to democracy, the National Assembly and the Federal Government.”
Atiku Condemns Invasion Of Lagos Assembly
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the invasion of Lagos State House of Assembly by armed security operatives.
He described the development as utterly reprehensible and stands condemned, adding that it must be subjected to a full and thorough investigation.
Atiku, in a statement, said: “It is bewildering that the invading operatives reportedly have a mandate to enforce a leadership change in the House.
“It is appalling that it is those who claimed to have fought for democracy that decided to sanction this crass desecration of the state’s foremost legislative body, and by so doing, putting our hard-earned democracy in jeopardy.
“This act is an attack on the sanctity of democracy and a landmark of indignity to the Nigerian electorate, especially the people of Lagos.”
Atiku further said that “whatever may have caused the leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly is an undercurrent that is not abnormal in a system of democracy.
“The purported invitation of armed security operatives for a conflict resolution in a parliament is an anathema that should be frowned upon and interrogated with all sense of urgency.”
He insisted that “Tinubu should focus on bringing Nigeria out of the mess he plunged the country into rather than interfering in the state matters.”
