Court Nullifies Obasa’s Removal As Lagos Speaker, Voids Assembly Proceedings

The Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has pronounced the removal of the re-instated Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, as illegal and unconstitutional.

The court ruled that the plenary session that led to Obasa was null and void.

The judgement was delivered by the court on Wednesday afternoon, maintaining that Obasa remains the only recognised Speaker of the State House of Assembly.

This is coming a few weeks after SaharaReporters reported that Obasa remained adamant in pursuing his lawsuit against former Speaker Mojisola Meranda and other lawmakers, despite the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.

A source had told SaharaReporters weeks ago that confusion and concerns were mounting among APC leaders in Lagos over Obasa’s refusal to withdraw the suit.

“The truth is that there is uncertainty among the party’s leadership regarding why the Speaker is still in court. Honestly, we don’t know why. After President Tinubu’s intervention and their meeting in Abuja, everything about the leadership crisis seemed to have been settled,” the source had said.

The source further expressed frustration over the situation, highlighting that Meranda had already accepted the party’s resolution and stepped aside.

“If you know Meranda very well, you will see that she is an easygoing person, not someone who wants the speakership ‘do or die.’ Since the leaders told her to step down in the interest of the party, she relinquished her ambition and did not pursue it further. This is why we don’t know what Obasa wants from the court again. But everyone is observing the situation,” the source added.

Obasa’s counsel, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), has, however, dismissed speculations that his client is considering withdrawing the case.

Fashanu confirmed that his team is awaiting judgment from the Lagos State High Court, where the case is being heard.

“We are just waiting for the judgment. We don’t know when yet; the court said they will communicate it to us,” Fashanu stated.

When pressed on whether Obasa was reconsidering his decision, Fashanu responded firmly: “We have concluded. You’re twisting the hand of the clock back. We have concluded arguments; that one does not arise again. He’s not withdrawing, we have concluded.”

This stance contradicts expectations following Tinubu’s intervention, which was widely believed to have resolved the impasse and facilitated Obasa’s return as Speaker.

Despite Obasa’s legal team’s insistence, Otunba Henry Ajomale, former chairman of the Lagos APC and a member of the party’s influential Governance Advisory Council (GAC), expressed confidence that the lawsuit would soon be dropped.

“Very soon, (at) the next sitting, you will see the difference,” Ajomale told journalists during an event in Lagos over the weekend.

“Somebody is aggrieved, and he went to court. It is his right to go to court. And it is now our own duty, since Mr. President intervened and rightly too because this is his own making,” he said.

“He will not allow it to create a bitter problem. And that is why he had to intervene. Everything is back to normal now.”

Ajomale assured that now that Obasa had been reinstated as Speaker, the lawsuit would be withdrawn promptly.

“Perhaps at the next sitting, you will see the difference,” he added.

Obasa’s legal battle stems from the leadership crisis that led to his ouster on January 13, 2025, paving the way for Meranda to become the first female Speaker of the House.

However, his removal triggered intense political manoeuvring, and after 49 days, he was reinstated following the intervention of APC’s national leadership and President Tinubu.

The 40 lawmakers had met with Tinubu in Abuja on March 12, where the president reportedly brokered peace between Obasa and Meranda.

Yet, the Assembly has remained inactive, failing to reconvene since March 3, which has raised concerns over a legislative standstill in Lagos.