A courtroom dispute erupted on Friday at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja as two lawyers laid claim to representing the Lagos State House of Assembly in a suit filed by Mudashiru Obasa, who is challenging his removal as Speaker.
Obasa, in suit number ID/9047GCM/2025, is contesting the legality of the House’s proceedings during its recess, arguing that the session in which he was allegedly impeached on January 13, 2025, was unconstitutional since he neither reconvened the House nor delegated such authority.
His legal representation is led by Chief Afolabi Fashanu.
The case hinges on the interpretation of multiple sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) alongside the Lagos State House of Assembly’s Rules and Standing Orders.
Obasa seeks clarity on Sections 36, 90, 92(2)(c), 101, and 311 of the Constitution in relation to the Assembly’s procedural guidelines.
Dispute Over Legal Representation
When the matter was called, Femi Falana appeared on behalf of the first defendant—the Lagos State House of Assembly—while Tayo Oyetibo represented the current Speaker, Mojosola Meranda.
Olu Daramola stood in for other parties seeking to join the suit.
However, tensions arose when another lawyer, Abang Mkpandiok, stood up to challenge Falana’s representation, asserting that he had been newly appointed by the Assembly the previous night.
Mkpandiok informed the court that he had already filed a motion seeking to replace Falana as the Assembly’s legal representative.
Citing the fundamental right of a client to choose their counsel, Mkpandiok requested the court to hear his application first.
He argued that his law firm, Atlantic Law Firm, had been properly briefed and had submitted the required documents, though they had not yet been served to the parties.
In response, Falana objected, maintaining that he remained the official counsel for the Assembly as he had not received any formal notice of replacement. Oyetibo also pointed out that he had yet to be served with the application.
Justice Yetunde Pinheiro, upon reviewing court records, ruled that the application for a change of counsel was not yet ready for hearing due to non-compliance with service rules.
The judge deferred the matter, stating, “As counsel himself has admitted, that application has not been served on all parties. I will defer it pending compliance with the rules of court.”
Lawmakers Seek to Join the Case
During the proceedings, Daramola informed the court of a Motion on Notice filed by 33 members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, requesting to be joined as co-defendants.
The lawmakers, who were elected to represent various constituencies in Lagos, argued that their inclusion was necessary under Section 361 of the Constitution and multiple provisions of the Lagos State High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019. They sought:
1. An order to add them as co-defendants in the suit.
2. A directive requiring Obasa to amend all legal filings to reflect their inclusion.
Justice Pinheiro scheduled March 7, 2025, for the hearing of all pending applications, including the requests for a change of legal representation and the lawmakers’ motion to join the suit.
Meranda Denies Resignation
Speaking to journalists after the court session, Speaker Mojosola Meranda dismissed claims that she had resigned and condemned Obasa’s alleged invasion of the Assembly complex the previous day.
Regarding her security detail, she revealed that while she is entitled to ’12 police officers and four operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS),’ she has only been assigned four police officers so far.