The hearing of a lawsuit brought by Mudashiru Obasa, the reinstated Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has been postponed until March 17, 2025 by Justice Yetunde Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.
After 35 members accused Obasa of fraud, high-handedness, abuse of power, and gross misbehaviour, he is contesting his dismissal as Speaker on January 13, 2025.
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, as well as former Speaker Mojisola Meranda, are among the suit’s respondents.
The hearing was originally set for March 10, 2025, but during Monday’s proceedings, House of Assembly lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) told the court that more affidavits had been submitted that day by Obasa’s legal team, which was led by Afolabi Fasanu (SAN).
“The claimant’s counsel served us further affidavits today, challenging my clients to respond,” Falana stated.
Counsel for Meranda, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), also noted that the newly filed affidavits contained serious fraud allegations against his client.
“There are serious fraud allegations in the further affidavits my learned brother referred to. We shall be asking for an adjournment to respond to the new application,” Oyetibo said.
Olusola Idowu (SAN) also declared that he would be joining the case as an incoming counsel for the House of Assembly.
But before hearing other motions, Falana requested the court to examine the plea for a change of counsel.
He referenced a ruling from the Court of Appeal that requires a trial court to consider a request for a change of counsel before considering any other issues.
Justice Pinheiro responded by declaring that on the following adjourned day, all of the court’s applications and procedures will be heard together.
“All applications, including those seeking injunctions and those challenging jurisdiction, will be heard on March 17, 2025. The application concerning the change of counsel will also be addressed on the same day,” Pinheiro stated.
She further directed all parties to file, serve, and exchange their processes before the next hearing.
Following the intervention of the Lagos All Progressives Congress leadership, Obasa was reinstated as Lagos Assembly Speaker, while Meranda was prevailed upon to step down and return to being the Deputy Speaker.
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Obasa’s refusal to withdraw the suit, which was filed before the political intervention, suggests that all is not well yet between him and the other lawmakers.
In her address vacating the Speaker’s seat, Meranda had said she decided in deference to the party’s supremacy and not out of cowardice.
Most of the lawmakers, in an emotion-laden session, also praised Meranda, stressing that they accepted Obasa’s reinstated as Speaker out of respect for the party.
