Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has filed a lawsuit against the Assembly and his successor, Mojisola Meranda, contesting the legality of his removal from office.
Obasa lodged the suit at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, arguing that his impeachment on January 13, 2025, was unconstitutional since it took place while the Assembly was on recess.
The case, which is yet to be assigned to a judge, seeks a declaration that his removal was unlawful and a violation of established legislative procedures.
Through his lawyer, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), the former Speaker contended that 36 lawmakers orchestrated his impeachment while he was out of the country, without prior notice or adherence to due process.
He urged the court to expedite the case, requesting that the defendants respond within seven days, while he would submit his reply within three days.
“The legality of the Assembly’s current leadership must be urgently determined, as it violates the applicable laws and rules,” Obasa stated in his application.
His suit challenges the interpretation of sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Standing Orders of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
He insists that a sitting cannot be held during recess unless the Speaker convenes it or authorizes another lawmaker to preside.
Obasa, who returned to Lagos on January 25 to a rousing welcome from supporters, maintained that he was not afraid of impeachment but insisted that the procedure was flawed.
He also accused security agents, led by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, of aiding his removal by deploying over 200 officers to his residences and the Assembly complex on the day of the impeachment.
His removal was endorsed by more than two-thirds of the 40-member House over allegations of misconduct, leading to the historic election of Mojisola Meranda as the first female Speaker of the Assembly.
No date has been fixed for the court hearing.
