Court nullifies Obasa’s removal as Lagos assembly speaker

The Lagos high court in Ikeja has nullified the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as speaker of the state house of assembly.

In a ruling on Wednesday, Yetunde Pinheiro, the presiding judge, nullified the proceedings and resolution of the Lagos assembly on January 13, 2025, which led to Obasa’s ouster.

Obasa was removed on by a majority of lawmakers, who accused him of gross misconduct and abuse of office.

Following his removal, then-deputy speaker Mojisola Meranda was elected as the first female speaker of the house.

Upon returning to the country, Obasa rejected the decision, describing it as illegal, and instituted a legal action challenging the validity of his removal.

The development deepened the political crisis within the assembly, prompting the intervention of some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including Bisi Akande and Olusegun Osoba, both former governors of Osun and Ogun.

After 49 days in office, Meranda stepped down as speaker during a plenary session held on March 3.

Obasa was subsequently re-nominated and re-elected by his colleagues.

THE RULING

On February 12, Obasa, through his lawyer, Afolabi Fashanu, filed a suit challenging the legality of his removal by 36 members of the Lagos assembly.

Obasa told the court that his removal occurred while the assembly was in recess and he was out of the country.

The reinstated speaker prayed the court to declare the removal process “unlawful” and that the sitting “invalid” as it was convened without the speaker’s authority or any formal delegation of power.

Obasa premised his removal on nine grounds while referencing provisions of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and rules and standing orders governing the Lagos assembly.

Delivering the judgment, Pinheiro ruled that the leaders of the Lagos assembly have the authority to write to the speaker to convene a meeting, and that the chief whip is not considered a leader for this purpose.

The presiding judge held that order 7 and rule 30 of Lagos state house of assembly rules do not confer such powers on chief whip to convene the meeting.

The judge ruled that all steps taken toward convening the meeting were “invalid” and that the fact a majority of members voted was “inconsequential”.

“The defendant cannot validly remove the Speaker without complying with Order 2, Rule 9 of the Lagos State House of Assembly Rules,” the judge said.

Pinheiro declared that the purported sitting of the members of the Lagos state house of assembly and removal of the claimant as “illegal, null and void”.