By Akinwale Kasali
Despite the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the crisis bedeviling the Lagos State House of Assembly over the impeachment and reinstatement of Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker, another fresh Crisis has surfaced.
President Tinubu had told the Lawmakers, when he summoned them to Abuja, to rally round Obasa and support him to succeed.
Now, however, there is a brewing feud between re-elected Speaker, Obasa and his Deputy, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, which has continued to divide the Assembly, setting the two parties on a collision course.
Days after the meeting and resolution, controversy has trailed the alleged purchase of N5 Billion Vehicles for 40 Lawmakers by the then Speaker, Meranda.
It was gathered that Meranda, who presided over the Legislative Arm for 49 days, purportedly led the purchase of about 40 Vehicles for the Lawmakers during the period Obasa was impeached.
Obasa was said to have, in December, 2024, approved the sum of N7 Billion for the Purchase of the SUVs before he was impeached on January 13, 2025.
Following his reinstatement as Speaker, with the backing of President Tinubu, he is contending why the SUVs were purchased with funds withdrawn from the Assembly’s Account without his authorisation.
It was gathered that Obasa had plans of purchasing the Vehicles from Dubai, United Arab Emirates for N7 Billion, having contacted a bidder for the contract.
Sources said that before Obasa’s impeachment, he had approved the money, but Meranda proceeded with buying them.
Meranda was said to have saved N2 billion by purchasing 32 units of 2025 Toyota Prado Sport Utility Vehicle, SUV and seven units of Toyota Landcruiser, 2025, at the sum of N5 billion, rather than the N7 billion budgeted by Obasa.
A source in the Assembly who claimed anonymity stated that unlike Obasa who had planned to import the Vehicles from Dubai, all the Cars were locally supplied.
He stated that It is imperative to note that no money was withdrawn by Meranda; she only reviewed an existing approval.
“Interestingly, Meranda spent far less money to acquire better quality cars and didn’t even approve a single one for the office of the Speaker that she occupied,” the source stated.
Spokesperson to Meranda, Victor Ganzallo, declined to make a comment on the issue, saying that an official statement would be issued in due course.
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