The widely circulated report claiming that President Bola Tinubu directed members of the Lagos State House of Assembly to reinstate embattled former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa has been dismissed as fake news designed to distract the newly elected Speaker, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda.
The report, which originated from an online platform and quickly went viral on Sunday, alleged that President Tinubu had pressured lawmakers to reinstate Obasa just three weeks after his removal. According to the viral claims, Tinubu purportedly argued that the political cost of Obasa’s removal outweighed the benefits of holding him accountable for alleged corruption and abuse of office.
“The president has sent instruction that we should start preparing to let him come back,” an unnamed Lagos politician reportedly told the online platform. The same report also suggested that Obasa would return for a brief period before resigning on his own terms.
However, lawmakers within the Assembly have rejected the claim, emphasizing that Obasa’s return remains unlikely, particularly given the overwhelming support for his removal. A legislator, who spoke anonymously, warned that reinstating Obasa would be akin to “pacifying a snake after its head was severed.”
Obasa was ousted on January 13 by 32 of the 40 Assembly members, who cited misconduct, misappropriation of funds, breach of public trust, and highhandedness as reasons for his removal. His replacement, Speaker Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, has since garnered wide acceptance, receiving endorsements from political heavyweights, including President Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and senior members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC).
A lawmaker, also speaking on condition of anonymity, affirmed the legitimacy of Meranda’s election. “This is nothing but fake news. She has met with the President, the Governor, the GAC, and past Assembly members from the 1st to the 9th Assemblies. There have also been numerous courtesy calls and endorsements confirming her leadership.”
The circulation of the report has sparked reactions among political observers and citizens alike, with many questioning whether Obasa enjoys special protection from higher authorities or if the reports are simply the last-ditch efforts of a political figure unwilling to accept his fate.
Meanwhile, an aide to Speaker Meranda declined to make an official statement but assured that the new Speaker remains focused on her duties and will not be distracted by “cheap talks and mere speculations.”
With Lagos lawmakers standing firmly behind Meranda’s leadership, the state’s legislative future remains on course, undeterred by misleading reports aimed at stirring controversy.
