All security aides assigned to Speaker Mojisola Meranda of the Lagos State House of Assembly have been withdrawn. As of Thursday morning, police officers and other security personnel attached to her were no longer in place.
The reason behind the sudden withdrawal remains unclear, but a source close to the Speaker confirmed the situation, noting that Meranda is now left without protection. “All the Speaker’s security aides have been withdrawn. All the security aides attached to the House of Assembly have also been withdrawn,” the source said. “The Speaker is now vulnerable.”
This development comes at a time when there are speculations that Meranda may step down from her position. The political tension follows the involvement of key figures from the All Progressives Congress (APC), including former governors Chief Bisi Akande of Osun State and Aremo Olusegun Osoba of Ogun State. The two leaders, along with other senior APC members, have reportedly been mediating in the crisis within the Lagos Assembly.
A crucial meeting was held last Sunday at the Governor’s Lodge in Marina, where members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) gathered to discuss the ongoing situation. Sources present at the meeting noted that the panel recommended significant leadership changes within the Assembly. According to them, the suggestion was made for Mudashiru Obasa to resign, while Meranda was also advised to step down in favor of a new Speaker from Lagos West.
Confirming the withdrawal of the security aides, Ganzallo Victor, the spokesperson for Meranda, told PUNCH, “We don’t know why the authorities have done that, but all the police officers and other security details attached to her have been withdrawn. She’s on her own at the moment.”
Meanwhile, in a contrasting move, sources within Obasa’s camp revealed that his security aides, who had also been withdrawn earlier, have now been restored. “They have restored all Obasa’s security aides as of this morning,” the source said.
