Mojisola Meranda: Enter Lagos First Female Speaker

Mrs Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, representing Apapa I, has been elected as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. This followed the removal of Mudashiru Obasa who has been occupying the seat since 2015. The impeachment took place at the plenary in the Lagos House of Assembly on Monday following the allegation of gross […]

Mrs Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, representing Apapa I, has been elected as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

This followed the removal of Mudashiru Obasa who has been occupying the seat since 2015.

The impeachment took place at the plenary in the Lagos House of Assembly on Monday following the allegation of gross misconduct against Obasa.

Meranda was elected as a replacement making her first female speaker in the parliament since 1999.

The Deputy Chief Whip, Hon Fatai Mojeed, has also been elected as the Deputy Speaker.

Daily Trust reports that Obasa has fallen out of favour following his controversial comments on the Lagos 2027 governorship.

In November, last year, when Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was presenting 2025 budget, Obasa stoked controversy when he declared that he is not too young or lacks experience to run for Lagos governor, insisting that “those who have been before me are not better of.”

Obasa was later accused of spending N17 billion on a gate to the assembly complex.

There have also been allegations of mishandling constituency funds and projects.

Enter Mojisola Lasbat Meranda

She was first elected as a member of the House in 2015, representing Apapa constituency 1. She was re-elected in 2019 and 2023.

Mrs. Meranda, a Lagos blue blood, was the Chief Whip of the ninth house.

Before her time in the House, Mrs. Meranda served the Apapa local government in different capacities. She also worked in the private sector.

She is one of only four women in the 40-member 10th assembly.

Early life and education

Mrs. Meranda was born on August 16, 1980, to the family of late Chief T. A Lawal Akapo (Ojora of Lagos) and Princess M. A. Lawal-Akapo of the royal families of Ojora, Aromire, Onitana, Oloto, and Oniru.

Her late father was a legislator at the local level before he became the Ojora of Lagos. Her mother is from the popular Oniru family in Lagos. Her brother is the Oniru of Iru land, Oba AbdulWasiu Omogbolahan Lawal.

Mrs. Meranda began her primary education at St. Charles Nursery and Primary School, before moving to Randle Primary School, at Randle Avenue in Surulere from 1986 to 1992.

She attended the Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar School (1992-1996) and Ansar-Ud-Deen Secondary School (1996 -1998) both in Surulere where she was a library prefect and secretary of the press club.

She obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) examination in 1998, according to her official House profile.

After her secondary education, Mrs. Meranda obtained an advanced certificate in software development in 2005. She’s also on record to have attended the Lagos State University, graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Public Administration in 2013.

In 2018, she returned to school, enrolling at the University of Lagos.

Political career

During an interview in 2021, Mrs. Meranda said she grew up in a family of politicians and lived with siblings whose love for politics triggered and shaped her passion for leadership.

In 2003, at the age of 23, she began working as a personal assistant to Dr Olumuyiwa Gbadegesin, a senior special assistant on technology and special projects to Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Between 2007 and 2008, Mrs. Meranda worked in the oil and gas industry with Cirrus Nigeria Limited as a procurement manager.

She returned to politics in 2008, taking active roles in the Apapa local government, first as a senior special assistant on intervention and intergovernmental affairs to the then Chairman, Ayodeji Joseph, and then as a supervisory councillor for health.

In 2014, she joined Worthline international services limited as head of operations. Worthline was originally registered in 2012, with Mrs. Meranda as a director.

And then in 2015, she was elected as a member of the House.