Legal Showdown: Obasa’s Counsel Provides Latest Details on Lawsuit Against Lagos Assembly

Published March 4, 2025 at 11:35 AM

The legal representative of the newly reinstated Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has revealed that his client has yet to decide whether to withdraw the lawsuit he filed against the Assembly and former Speaker Mojisola Meranda.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Afolabi Fashanu, who represents Obasa, made this known in a phone interview with Punch on Monday, emphasizing that the decision to discontinue the case rests solely with the Speaker.

Obasa was ousted as Speaker on January 13, 2025, while he was in the United States, with Meranda taking over the position. In response, he filed a lawsuit (ID/9047GCM/2025) before Justice Yetunde Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, challenging the legality of the Assembly’s sitting and his removal during a recess without his authorization or delegation of authority.

The case is scheduled for a hearing on March 7, where Justice Pinheiro is expected to rule on pending applications.

Legal Team Awaits Obasa’s Decision

When asked about the possibility of withdrawing the lawsuit following Obasa’s reinstatement, Fashanu stated that his client had not yet given any formal directive.

“The decision to withdraw the case is entirely his to make,” he said.

He further explained, “As you saw in the events leading to his reinstatement, he still needs to formally brief us on his stance regarding the lawsuit. At this moment, he has not done so.

“Perhaps by tomorrow (Tuesday), we will meet with him to determine the next steps. I am not aware of any conditions attached to his reinstatement, so we need clarification before making any legal moves.”

After weeks of political turmoil, Obasa was reinstated as Speaker during Monday’s plenary session following Meranda’s official resignation.