What Lagos State House of Assembly said in response to report that Remi Tinubu is behind its power tussle crisis

The Lagos State House of Assembly has denounced the rumour making rounds online that the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has a hand in the House’s in-house dispute. The lawmakers who dissociated themselves from the rumour called it false and baseless. This was contained in a statement signed by Hon. Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security on Tuesday.

Recall that on the 13th of January, 2025, the former speaker of the said house was removed from office through impeachment on the allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of power. During that same period, Mojisola Meranda was installed as the new speaker, making her the first female speaker of the House of Assembly in the history of Lagos State. The impeached speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, who wasn’t in the country, returned and contested the illegality of his impeachment, stating that due process wasn’t followed. The situation escalated on the 17th of February when the DSS stormed the Speaker’s office and sealed it off, denying Meranda access to her workspace. This escalated into a physical confrontation between the DSS and the lawmakers. In reaction to this, The Assembly complex was closed for several hours, causing the members of the House of Representatives not to function indefinitely. The situation changed when the legislative staff forced open the chamber’s doors, causing the House members to resume activities under a tense atmosphere.

In a statement issued later by the House, the presence of the armed DSS officers at the Assembly Complex was condemned, likewise their action. They asserted that it undermined and obstructed them from carrying out their duties.

Since then, reports and rumours have been flying around claiming that Nigeria’s first lady influenced the pandemonium. Debunking these rumours, Ogundipe stated: “We firmly state that the First Lady has no role in any internal disagreements within the House. Any attempt to link her to these issues is unfounded.”

Admonishing journalists and media houses, the chairman further emphasized that “responsible journalism requires seeking the truth and ensuring reports are accurate and balanced.”