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Ousted Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has filed a lawsuit against the Assembly and the new Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, challenging the legality of his removal from office. The suit, filed on 12 February 2025 by his lawyer, Chief Afolabi Fashanu, SAN, seeks a court declaration that his impeachment on 13 January 2025 was unlawful. Obasa claims he was removed by 36 lawmakers while the Assembly was on recess and he was out of the country, arguing that the process violated constitutional provisions and the Assembly’s standing rules.
Obasa is seeking an accelerated hearing, requesting the court to shorten the time for defendants to respond to seven days and for his replies on points of law to three days. His application is based on nine grounds, including the interpretation of the 1999 Constitution and the Lagos State House of Assembly’s Rules. He contends that the Assembly’s sitting during recess, without his convening or delegating authority, was unconstitutional. Obasa emphasized the urgency of resolving the case to avoid disrupting legislative activities and to determine the legality of the current leadership.
Obasa was impeached by more than two-thirds of the 40-member House over alleged misconduct, and his deputy, Mojisola Meranda, was elected as the new Speaker, making her the first female to lead the South-West state’s legislature. Upon his return on 25 January, Obasa maintained that due process was not followed, alleging that his removal was orchestrated in his absence. He also accused the Lagos State Commissioner of Police of facilitating the process, claiming that security agents invaded the Assembly complex and his homes, locking his family indoors with over 200 officers present.
The case highlights a significant political and legal battle, with Obasa seeking to reclaim his position and challenging the legitimacy of his impeachment. No date has been fixed for the hearing.
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