Mudashiru Obasa, the former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has filed a lawsuit against the Assembly and the newly appointed Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, contesting the legality of his removal from office.
In his suit, which is yet to be assigned to a judge, Obasa seeks a declaration that his removal by 36 lawmakers while the Assembly was on recess was unlawful. The former Speaker claims that the dismissal, which occurred on January 13, 2025, took place while he was out of the country.
Obasa’s application, dated February 12, 2025, and filed by his lawyer, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), includes a request for the court to set a date for an accelerated hearing and shorten the time allowed for the defendants to respond. He also asked the court to limit the time for the plaintiff to file replies on points of law to three days.
The application is based on several legal grounds, challenging the constitutionality of the House’s proceedings during its recess, which allegedly occurred without the Speaker formally convening or delegating authority. Obasa stressed that the case’s resolution is in the public interest, to avoid further disruptions in the state’s legislative activities.
The former Speaker is seeking an urgent determination of the legality of the Assembly’s leadership transition, which he argues violated constitutional provisions and Assembly rules. He emphasized that the court has the power to expedite the hearing and impose time limitations.
No date has been set for the hearing of the case.
Background: Obasa was impeached on January 13 by a majority of the 40-member Assembly, while he was abroad, over allegations of misconduct. His deputy, Mojisola Meranda, was immediately elected as the new Speaker, making her the first female to hold the position in the South-West state.
Obasa returned to a rally at his residence in Ikeja on January 25, asserting that while he was not afraid of being impeached, due process had not been followed. He accused the state police commissioner of aiding the impeachment and claimed that security forces, led by the commissioner, invaded the Assembly complex and his homes in Agege and Ikeja, locking his family inside with more than 200 officers present. Obasa also denied allegations of misappropriation.
