At least 29 lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly who backed the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker have arrived at the Lagos State High Court for the hearing of a case filed by Obasa challenging his ouster.
Obasa was removed on January 13, 2025, by 36 lawmakers while he was out of the country. However, he has since rejected his removal and is now seeking legal redress.
In the application dated February 12, 2025, and filed by his lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Afolabi Fashanu, Obasa is asking the court to nullify his removal, arguing that he was removed from his position on January 13, 2025, by 35 lawmakers while he was out of the country.
At the proceedings on friday, representing Speaker Mojisola Meranda and the House are a team of senior lawyers, including lead counsel Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), alongside other legal heavyweights such as Olu Daramola (SAN), Femi Falana (SAN), Muiz Banire (SAN), Abimbola Akeredolu (SAN), Dada Awosika (SAN), Dayo Amokaye (SAN), Mofe Oyetibo (SAN), Olumide Oyewole, and Wunmi Okeremi.
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There was also a mild drama in court when another counsel, Abang Mkpandiok got up to challenge Falana’s representation of the Lagos State House of Assembly
Mkpandiok said he had been briefed last night by the Assembly and had filed his motion for a change of counsel in the matter this morning.
He noted that the choice of counsel is a fundamental human right and urged the court to take his application first.
Mr Falana in his objection told the court that he had not been served and remained the counsel on record for the Assembly.
Mr Oyetibo also said he had not been served with the application.
Mkpandiok then elected to serve the application on the other counsel in court.
After checking the court’s records, Justice Pinheiro noted that the application for change of counsel was not ripe for hearing.
The court said, “As counsel himself has admitted, that application has not been served on all parties, I’ll defer same pending compliance with the court’s rules.
The court also held that the application for accelerated hearing would not be taken today.
The court has adjourned till March 7 to hear all pending applications in the matter.
After the proceedings, Meranda while speaking to journalists denied that she had resigned. She also condemned what she said was the invasion of the house on Thursday by the removed Speaker, Obasa.
On the issue of her security details, Mrs Meranda told journalists that her security which includes 12 police officers and four DSS operatives, has not been fully restored, as she presently has only four police officers attached to her.
