Lagos Assembly Turmoil: Obasa Defies Political Pressure, Insists on Legal Battle Over Controversial Impeachment as APC Leaders Scramble for Resolution
The legal team of Mudashiru Obasa, the ousted Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has refuted claims that he plans to withdraw the lawsuit challenging his removal. Obasa, who was impeached by a majority of lawmakers on January 13, 2025, maintains that his removal was unlawful and has taken the matter to the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.
Speaking on Tuesday, Obasa’s lead counsel, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), confirmed that preparations for the court hearing scheduled for February 28 remain on course, despite ongoing political efforts to resolve the crisis. Fashanu clarified that Obasa will not return to the Assembly until the court rules on the case, stressing that doing so before a judgment would be illegal.
“It could amount to an illegal step for Obasa to return to the House pending the decision of the case, which is already before a court,” Fashanu stated.
Obasa, who was in the United States when he was impeached, has consistently rejected his removal, citing procedural irregularities in the process carried out by the 36 lawmakers who voted him out. Upon his return to Nigeria on January 25, Obasa publicly declared that he remains the Speaker until due process is followed.
“My status in the House? I strongly believe I am still the Speaker until the right thing has been done. If you want to remove me, remove me the proper way, and I will not contest it,” Obasa told journalists on January 25.
APC Leaders Intervene in Crisis
The crisis in the Lagos Assembly has drawn the attention of top political figures, including President Bola Tinubu. In an effort to broker peace, Tinubu drafted former governors Chief Bisi Akande (Osun) and Aremo Olusegun Osoba (Ogun) to mediate between the warring factions. The two APC leaders held marathon meetings from Sunday through Monday to seek a resolution.
According to sources within the party, the mediators recommended that both Obasa and his successor, Mojisola Meranda, step down for a neutral lawmaker from Lagos West Senatorial District. The panel also reportedly suggested that Obasa withdraw his court case as part of the political settlement. However, Fashanu dismissed these reports, stating that his client had not communicated any intention to withdraw the suit.
“Well, that intervention, for me, is still a rumor because nothing of such has been communicated to us as the legal team,” Fashanu said. “Our client has not communicated anything to us in the nature of withdrawal. So, we are still preparing for the case until otherwise.”
When asked whether Obasa would consider a political settlement over the legal battle, Fashanu said that decision rests with his client. “I am not a politician, so the political aspect of it will probably be left to the players,” he added.
Court Orders Detention of Assembly Workers
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday ordered the remand of three Lagos Assembly workers by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations of assaulting DSS officers.
The detained workers—identified as Ibrahim Olanrewaju, Adetu Adekunle, and Fatimoh Adetola—were reportedly involved in a physical altercation with DSS operatives on February 17. Justice Daniel Osiagor ruled that the trio be held in custody pending their arraignment.
According to the DSS, the workers conspired to obstruct security operatives while they were performing their official duties and allegedly engaged in cyberstalking by spreading false information on social media to incite public unrest.
The charges against them include violations of Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act and several provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).
Union Condemns Arrests
Reacting to the arrests, the Lagos chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) described the detention of the Assembly workers as an abuse of power and a violation of their rights. The association called for their immediate release and urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene.
In a statement, PASAN Chairman Babatunde Ogunlana said, “The humiliating arrest, detention, and trial of these officers amount to an abuse of power and a gross violation of the rights of staffers who were merely performing their statutory duties.”
He further warned that the continued detention of the workers could endanger their health, particularly one of the detainees, who is asthmatic.
“The union calls on the DSS to uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety of the affected staff,” Ogunlana added.
With the Lagos Assembly crisis deepening, all eyes remain on the court’s February 28 hearing, where Obasa’s legal team is set to argue for his reinstatement. Whether political interventions will alter the course of events remains to be seen.
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