Lagos High Court Nullifies Obasa’s Removal As Speaker, Voids Assembly Proceedings

The Lagos High Court in Ikeja has ruled that the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the State House of Assembly was illegal, unconstitutional, and void. Justice Yetunde Pinheiro delivered the judgment on Wednesday, nullifying all proceedings and resolutions from the January 13, 2025, session that ousted Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos Assembly.

Obasa had filed suit challenging his removal by 36 lawmakers while he was on official recess abroad. He argued the abrupt January 13 sitting lacked proper authority, as no valid notice or delegation empowered the Chief Whip to convene the Assembly in his absence. Senior Advocate Afolabi Fashanu, leading Obasa’s legal team, told the court, “The Speaker’s removal violated due process and the Assembly’s own rules.”

Justice Pinheiro dismissed preliminary objections and affirmed the court’s power to review Assembly actions when constitutional provisions and fair hearing rights are ignored. Pinheiro cited past judgments—Usman v. Kaduna Assembly and Rivers State Assembly cases—to support judicial intervention in legislative procedure lapses. She held that “a court of law can intervene where constitutional mandates go unmet during Assembly proceedings.”

The court found that Rule 9, Order 2 of the Lagos House rules restricts meeting convening powers to Assembly leaders, not the Chief Whip. It also noted that no formal notice reached Obasa or his delegates, rendering the January 13 sitting invalid. “Every step taken to reconvene the House after its indefinite adjournment cannot stand,” the court said.

Pinheiro awarded Obasa ₦500,000 in damages for unlawful removal and the psychological distress he endured. The judgment also set aside the purported installation of Mojisola Meranda as Acting Speaker during that session.

In a post-judgment statement, Obasa thanked the court and pledged to “uphold the rule of law in Lagos State.” The judgment restores Obasa as Speaker and reinforces the court’s role in safeguarding constitutional governance.