Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has described a court judgment reversing his removal as a major win for democracy, calling the previous action illegal and unconstitutional. The ruling was delivered on Wednesday by Justice Yetunde Pinheiro at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, nullifying all Assembly proceedings and decisions made on January 13—the day Obasa was removed while he was away in the United States on official assignment.
In a statement issued shortly after the verdict, Obasa welcomed the court’s decision and said it would help the Assembly move forward with greater unity and purpose. He called the judgment a win not just for himself but for the integrity of the Lagos State House of Assembly as a democratic institution. He stressed that the ruling reaffirmed the rule of law and the importance of due process in legislative affairs.
Expressing hope for reconciliation, Obasa urged fellow lawmakers to put the incident behind them and focus on working together for the greater good of their constituents and the state. According to him, the court’s intervention sends a clear message that constitutional principles must be upheld regardless of circumstance.
The Speaker had earlier filed a legal challenge on February 12 through his lawyer, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN). The suit contested the validity of the session during which he was removed, arguing that the Assembly was on recess at the time and he was overseas. Obasa claimed the session lacked proper authority and there had been no formal delegation of power from the Speaker’s office. He listed the Lagos State House of Assembly and Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda as respondents in the suit.
The case was built on nine legal grounds, referencing the 1999 Constitution and the Standing Orders of the Assembly. In her ruling, Justice Pinheiro agreed that the removal lacked legal backing and declared the proceedings null and void. All actions taken during the controversial session have now been officially invalidated.
