the reign of Mudashiru Obasa as the speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly came to a rough end. The ugly painting had been coming together on the walls of Alausa for Obasa for a while. But before the Agege political titan could decipher the full picture, he was gone. His tenure as the number three citizen in Lagos smouldered in its 10th year — on the same floor it all began.
It was swift, decisive, and unanimous, as though the lawmakers had long made the decision over Chrismas rice and chicken. No resistance was allowed. The youths who trespassed into the assembly complex to protest the impeachment were arrested and forced to pledge their allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) amid campaign songs and slogans. As Obasa’s sun quenches, a new star rises in its wake.
Mojisola Lasbat Meranda was unanimously elected to lead the house. The 44-year-old was the deputy speaker until Obasa’s ouster. She became the first female speaker of the Lagos state house of assembly since 1999.
Before she married John Paul Meranda and changed her surname, she was Mojisola Ojora Lawal, a princess whose blue blood is a pool of contributions from a few of Lagos’ royal families. Her relatives have been kings and are still rulers in the Ijora, Lagos Island, and Oniru areas of the state.
She was born on August 16, 1980, as a descendant of two prominent royal families in Lagos. Taoreed Lawal-Akapo, the late Ojora of Lagos, was her father; and Muinat, her mother, was a princess from the illustrious Oniru kingdom. Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal, Mojisola’s brother, is the current Oniru of the Iru kingdom.
10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE FEMALE SPEAKER
- Mojisola Lasbat Meranda was born on August 16, 1980, into the royal families of Ojora, Aromire, Onitana, Oloto, and Oniru, her lineage boasts a strong political heritage. Her late father, Chief T.A. Lawal Akapo, was a legislator and later became the Ojora of Lagos.
- She attended Randle Primary School and later Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar School and Ansar-Ud-Deen Secondary School. Meranda earned a degree in Public Administration from Lagos State University in 2013 and pursued further studies at the University of Lagos.
- She worked as a personal assistant in the Lagos State government and held positions in the private sector, including as a procurement manager at Cirrus Nigeria Limited.
- She started as a senior special assistant at Apapa Local Government, she later became a supervisory councillor for health. Elected to the House in 2015, she has since been re-elected twice.
- As a legislator, Meranda emphasized the amendment of outdated laws over merely sponsoring new bills. She has also implemented various constituency projects, including medical outreaches and educational support initiatives.
- A vocal advocate for women’s rights, she challenges stereotypes and calls for greater representation of women in politics, emphasizing equal capabilities in leadership roles.
- She has initiated water projects, equipped schools, supported petty traders and widows, and facilitated training programs for mechanics.
- She served as the Chief Whip of the ninth assembly and is one of only four women in the current 40-member Lagos Assembly.
- Meranda is married and enjoys reading and traveling. Her determination and resilience in politics are evident in her journey to leadership roles.
- On January 13, 2025, she was unanimously chosen as Speaker, marking a significant milestone in her career and the history of the Lagos State Assembly
