Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has taken legal action against the Assembly and its newly elected Speaker, Mojisola Meranda. Obasa filed a suit before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, contesting the legitimacy of his removal from office.
In the yet-to-be-assigned case, Obasa is urging the court to rule that his impeachment was unlawful, arguing that his colleagues acted beyond their authority by removing him while the House was on recess.
According to court documents filed on February 12, 2025, by his counsel, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), Obasa asserts that 36 lawmakers voted for his removal on January 13, 2025, while he was out of the country. He contends that this action violated constitutional provisions and the Standing Orders of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Obasa is seeking the following legal reliefs: an order for an expedited hearing of the case, a directive limiting the time for the defendants to file counter-affidavits or written responses to seven days, and a restriction on the plaintiff’s time for filing replies on points of law to three days.
His arguments rest on nine legal grounds, including the interpretation of relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the House’s procedural rules. He argues that a legislative sitting during recess—without proper authorization from the Speaker—renders all decisions taken during that period unconstitutional.
Obasa insists that the case requires urgent adjudication to prevent disruptions in the legislative process. He maintains that the Assembly’s leadership transition was unlawful and that the court has the authority to fast-track hearings on such critical constitutional matters.
On January 13, 2025, more than two-thirds of the 40-member House voted to impeach Obasa over alleged misconduct and other infractions. In his absence, his deputy, Mojisola Meranda, was elected Speaker, making history as the first female to lead the Lagos State Assembly.
Following his return to Lagos on January 25, Obasa addressed supporters at his Ikeja residence, reiterating that he was not afraid of impeachment but emphasizing that due process was ignored. He accused the Lagos State Commissioner of Police of facilitating his removal, alleging that security forces stormed both the Assembly complex and his residences in Agege and Ikeja, locking his family inside with over 200 officers present.
Dismissing allegations of financial misappropriation, Obasa maintains that his removal was orchestrated behind closed doors while he was abroad.
No court date has been set for the hearing of the case.
