By Kolawole Ojebisi
The leadership crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly took a twist in the early hours of Monday.
This is as men of the Department of State Security, DSS, and Nigeria Police, in the early hours stormed the legislative chamber sealing off the offices of the Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, her deputy and clerk of the house, respectively.
The security personnel, armed to the teeth, took over the premises at Alausa, Ikeja, and environs frisking every passersby.
Meranda, however, arrived with her convoy at about 11.15am.
This development left many observers confounded as nobody could offer explanation for sudden appearance of the security personnel.
Recall that the embattled, former Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, had sued the state lawmakers challenging his removal as the Speaker of the Assembly.
Obasa, it was gathered, filed a motion at the Ikeja Division of the State High Court, where he is also seeking an accelerated hearing of his suit.
The leadership tussle in the Lagos legislative chamber began when Obasa was removed in absentia by 32 out of the 40 members of the state Assembly on January 13, 2025.
He was in America when he was removed in a situation reportedly described as “coup,” by many political observers.
The development has generated controversy with members of the Governance Advisory Council, GAC, an apex political decision making body of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos, divided over Obasa’s removal.
Obasa, in the suit, is challenging the legality of his removal from office.
The suit, made available to newsmen was filed on Wednesday, 12 February, 2025, names the Lagos State House of Assembly and Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, current Speaker of the House, as defendants.
In the suit filed by his lawyers, led by Chief Afolabi Fashanu, SAN, Obasa is seeking several reliefs, among which are: “An order fixing a date for the expeditious hearing of the originating summons.
“An order of this Honourable Court abridging the time within which the Defendants may file their response by way of counter affidavits/written addresses as specified by the Rules of this Honourable Court, to 7 days after the hearing and determination of this Application.
“An order of this Honourable Court abridging the time within which the Plaintiff/Applicant may file its Reply of points law, as specified in the Rules of this Honourable Court, to 3 days of the service of the Defendants processes on him.”
Obasa’s application is predicated on nine grounds, including the interpretation of various sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As amended), and the Rules and Standing Order of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The suit read in part: “This application is predicated among which he stated the suit concerns the interpretation of Sections 36; 90; 92(2)(c); 101 and 311 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As amended) vis-à-vis ORDER V RULE 18(2) and Order II Rule 9(1)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) OF RULES AND STANDING ORDER OF LAGOS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY (which enjoy constitutional flavor and status);
“The action borders on the constitutionality or otherwise of the sitting and proceedings of the Lagos State House of Assembly of the 13th January, 2025 where the Plaintiff herein, as Honourable Speaker was said to be impeached.
“This action challenges the constitutionality of the sitting and proceedings of the Lagos State House of Assembly to sit during recess without the Speaker reconvening the House or giving any other person powers to reconvene the House.
“Public interest requires the case to be heard and determined speedily and expeditiously so that legislative activities in the State is not stalled.
“The legality of the continued sitting of the 1st defendant under the present leadership in violation of the aforementioned laws and rules calls for an urgent determination;
“The nature of this action is such that is required to be heard and determined expeditiously having regard to the exceptional circumstances surrounding same;
“There is need to abridge the time within which the Defendants may file their response to the originating summon as well as time within which the claimant/Applicant may file its reply on point of law; and
“This Honourable Court is imbued with inherent powers to grant accelerated hearing and abridgment of time; and
“It is expedient to grant accelerated hearing of this action and abridgment of time for parties to file the relevant processes in the interest of justice.”
Obasa maintained that none of the parties to the case would be prejudiced or suffer any injustice by the grant to his application.
