Justice Yetunde Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court on Wednesday declared the removal of Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly illegal, unconstitutional, and of no effect.
In a decisive judgment, the court nullified the proceedings and resolutions of the Assembly’s controversial sitting on January 13, 2025, during which Obasa was ousted and Hon. Mojisola Meranda was announced as his replacement.
Obasa had filed a suit on February 12, 2025, challenging the legitimacy of his removal. In the suit, filed through his counsel, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), he named the Lagos State House of Assembly and Hon. Meranda as defendants.
The former Speaker argued that his removal was carried out in violation of due process, noting that the House was officially on recess at the time of the session and that he was outside the country when the purported sitting was held.
Obasa’s legal challenge was anchored on nine grounds, citing breaches of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Rules and Standing Orders of the Lagos State House of Assembly. His team argued that no formal notice of the sitting was issued, and that there was no legal or procedural authority to convene such a session in his absence.
Justice Pinheiro, in her ruling, upheld Obasa’s arguments, stating that the sitting lacked the legal foundation required for such a consequential decision. The judge further held that the proceedings and resolutions taken on that day were null and void, effectively reinstating Obasa as Speaker of the Assembly.
“All proceedings and decisions taken at the sitting of January 13, 2025, including the purported removal of the claimant (Obasa), are hereby set aside for being unlawful, unconstitutional, and procedurally flawed,” the court ruled.
The judgment not only restores Obasa to his position but also nullifies any legislative actions or decisions taken by the Assembly under Hon. Meranda during the disputed period.
Wednesday’s ruling is expected to have significant political ramifications within the Lagos State legislature, as it reconfigures the leadership of the Assembly and potentially sets the stage for further intra-party negotiations or legal contests.
