Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has taken legal action against the Assembly and the newly appointed Speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
Obasa filed a lawsuit at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, challenging the legality of his impeachment.
Obasa argues that his removal from office on January 13, 2025, was unlawful because it happened while the Assembly was on recess. He claims that 36 lawmakers voted to impeach him while he was out of the country.
In his legal application, filed on February 12, 2025, through his lawyer Chief Afolabi Fashanu, SAN, Obasa is asking the court to:
- Declare his impeachment unlawful.
- Speed up the case to avoid delays.
- Limit the response time for the defendants to seven days.
- Restrict the time for his legal team to reply to three days.
Obasa argues that the Assembly’s actions violated the Nigerian Constitution and the House’s Standing Orders.
He insists that a Speaker must convene the Assembly or delegate authority before a sitting can take place during recess.
The former Speaker wants the court to urgently address the issue, as he believes it affects the functioning of the Lagos Assembly. He also claims the court has the power to fast-track the hearing.
Obasa was removed by more than two-thirds of the 40-member House due to alleged misconduct. Following his impeachment, Mojisola Meranda was elected as the first female Speaker of the Lagos Assembly.
After returning to Lagos on January 25, Obasa held a rally at his residence in Ikeja. He stated that he was not afraid of being impeached but insisted that due process was not followed.
He accused the Lagos State Commissioner of Police of helping to facilitate his removal.
According to him, security agents, including over 200 officers, invaded the Assembly complex and his residences in Agege and Ikeja, locking his family indoors. He denied any wrongdoing and dismissed accusations of financial mismanagement.
No date has been set for the court hearing.
