Former Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa was absent yesterday when the lawmakers resumed duties.
Obasa had described his removal as unconstitutional and laid claim to the office at the weekend.
However, in spite of his insistence on being the Speaker, he did not show up at the premises.
The new Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, was escorted into the presiding officer’s office by some lawmakers.
Meranda’s assumption of office was applauded by her colleagues who sang solidarity songs.
She was smartly dressed in a lemon green, and sky blue flowing gown with eye glasses and headscarf.
Speaker Meranda prayed on entering the office.
After sitting on the Speaker’s seat, Deputy Speaker, Fatai Mojeed, Majority Leader, Temitope Adedeji, and Deputy Majority Leader, Richard Kasunmu, took picture with her.
Other lawmakers later joined in taking pictures with the speaker.
The absence of Obasa, who had promised to resume duties yesterday, has raised questions about his next step.
The lawmakers, however, reaffirmed their support for the new Speaker.
Chairman, House Committee on Information, Stephen Ogundipe, announced that the plenary scheduled for 11am had to be postponed due to the ongoing reorganization and internal matters.
The security operatives sighted at the Assembly complex included officers of the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
There was a stop and search at each entrance to the Assembly to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
Visitors, reporters and staff members with no means of proper identification were denied access.
Former Deputy Majority Leader, Olumuyiwa Jimoh, called for the suspension of Obasa over claims of impersonation.
Jimoh in a television interview said that Obasa’s insistence on being the Speaker was an act of impersonation.
“Obasa claims that he is still the speaker, which I think he knows that the implication is automatic suspension. I feel he should be suspended for that. It is an impersonation,” Jimoh said.
He emphasised that Obasa’s removal followed constitutional procedures, adding that his absence from the Assembly during the process was irrelevant.
“Obasa doesn’t need to be in the House to be impeached. It is stipulated in the constitution: section 92 sub-section 2 states it clearly,” Jimoh added.
The former lawmaker claimed that Obasa orchestrated his removal as deputy majority leader by coercing members of the Assembly.
“I was not happy that he (Obasa) removed me. I was not notified about the process of my removal. I didn’t contend because he coerced and intimidated members to sign for my removal. I took it in good faith,” Jimoh recalled.
He further attributed his removal to his opposition to some of Obasa’s policies, which he described as “anti-democratic and anti-due process”.
