Politics
Security aides of embattled Lagos Assembly Speaker, Meranda withdrawn
The security aides attached to the embattled Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, have been withdrawn.
Reports said as of Thursday morning, security details attached to the speaker including police officers have been withdrawn.
It is unclear who authorised the withdrawal but a source close to the Speaker confirmed to Punch that Meranda was now vulnerable.
“All the Speaker’s security aides have been withdrawn. All the security aides attached to the House of Assembly have also been withdrawn,” the source to Punch.
The source lamented that the “the speaker is now vulnerable.”
The development comes amid information that Meranda who was elected after the impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa, is under pressure to resign from the position as Speaker.
The move follows intervention of the heavyweights of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former governors of Osun and Ogun states respectively.
The meditating panel led by the duo met last Sunday with key stakeholders at the House including members of the Governance Advisory Council at the Governor’s Lodge in Marina.
The panel, according to GAC members at the meeting, are recommending the resignation of Mudashiru Obasa and that Meranda should also step down for a new lawmaker from Lagos West to take the mantle of the House leadership.
The spokesperson for Meranda, Ganzallo Victor, confirmed the development to Punch. He said, “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why the authorities have done that but all the police officers and other security details attached to her have been withdrawn.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.”
Another source in the Obasa camp also said all aides attached to Obasa have now been restored.
“They have been restored all Obasa’s security aides as of this morning,” the source said.
