Impeached speaker Obasa takes Meranda, new Lagos state speaker to court,…..seeks immediate reinstatement

Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Mudashiru Obasa, has approached the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, seeking an immediate order for his reinstatement as the head of the state legislature.

Hon Obasa asked the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja to immediately reinstate him as the head of the state’s parliament, according to court filings.

The February 14, 2025, filing said Mr Obasa was wrongly removed as Lagos Speaker on January 13, 2025.

He joined the current Speaker Rt Hon Lasbat Mojisola Meranda and the parliament as defendants.

The suit came after political meetings to resolve the crisis fell through. The meetings had been held for several weeks between Lagos and Abuja among politicians loyal to President Bola Tinubu.

The leadership crisis in the Lagos State Assembly has taken a new twist, as impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa has approached the court for his reinstatement.

Hon Obasa filed a lawsuit at the Lagos State High Court, demanding his immediate reinstatement as the head of the state’s parliament, according to court filings on Friday.

February 12, 2025, filing “concerns the interpretation of Section 36; 90(2)(c); 101 and 311 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) vis-à-vis Order V Rule 18(2) and Order II Rule 9(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) of the Rules and Standing Orders of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Hon Obasa challenged the constitutionality of January 13, 2025, the plenary session where lawmakers orchestrated his impeachment, claiming the sitting was not authorised.

“The action challenged the sitting and proceedings of the Lagos State House of Assembly to sit during recess without reconvening the House or giving any other person powers to reconvene the House,” the court documents added.

He joined the current Speaker, Lasbat Mojisola Meranda, and the parliament as defendants.

The suit came after several failed political meetings to resolve the crisis. The meetings had been held for several weeks between Lagos and Abuja among politicians loyal to President Bola Tinubu.

President Tinubu recently snubbed a meeting with members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) for delaying his order mandating the reinstatement of Hon Obasa, insisting lawmakers should reinstate him.

However, lawmakers feared the impeached leader might target them in retribution.

A member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) of the APC in Lagos, Muraina Akanbi Taiwo, stated that moves to reinstate Mr Obasa would be rejected.

The legal action follows failed attempts to resolve the leadership crisis through political dialogue. Sources disclosed that multiple meetings involving key political figures from Lagos and Abuja were held in a bid to find a resolution. However, these discussions reportedly failed to yield a consensus.

Some legislators are said to fear that reinstating the former Speaker could lead to retaliatory actions against those who supported his removal.

The unfolding legal battle now places the fate of the Lagos Assembly’s leadership in the hands of the judiciary. As the case progresses, all eyes remain on the court’s decision and its implications for the state’s legislative stability