Court nullifies Obasa’s removal as Lagos Speaker, voids Assembly proceedings

The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has declared the removal of the re-instated Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, as illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.

In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, the court also nullified the proceedings and resolutions of the House held on January 13, 2025, during which Obasa was ousted.

Trial judge, Justice Yetunde Pinheiro also awarded N500,000 as damages for the unlawful and illegal removal of Hon. Obasa and for the psychological embarrassment he suffered as a result of the illegal removal.

Obasa had filed a suit against the House of Assembly and the newly appointed Speaker at the time, Mojisola Meranda, to challenge the legality of his removal.

In the suit, filed on February 12, 2025, by his counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afolabi Fashanu, Obasa argued that his removal by 36 lawmakers occurred while the Assembly was on recess and while he was out of the country.

He urged the court to declare the process unlawful, arguing that the sitting was invalid as it was held without the Speaker’s authority or any formal delegation of power.

In a judgment which lasted about three hours, Justice Pinheiro first dismissed the preliminary objections challenging the competence of the suit. The court held that non-compliance with pre-action notices does not make the suit inactive.

On the objection that the court does not have the jurisdiction to review the proceedings of the State House of Assembly, the judge held that, “ a court of law can intervene where the provisions of the constitution have not been met during any proceedings of the house of assembly”.

Credit: dailypost.ng

 

 

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