The attorney representing Speaker Mudashiru Obasa of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), denied rumors on Sunday that his principal will abandon the lawsuit against former Speaker Mojisola Meranda and the Assembly members for the umpteenth time.
In a phone chat with Newsline, Fashanu stated that there was no turning back and that his team was awaiting the court’s decision on the issue.
This is true even though President Bola Tinubu recently stepped in to settle the Lagos Assembly’s leadership dispute, with reports claiming that Obasa’s decision to drop the lawsuit against his colleagues was a component of the agreement.
In the lawsuit filed by Obasa, who is contesting the validity of the January 13, 2025 proceedings that resulted in his initial expulsion, Lagos State High Court Judge Yetunde Pinheiro reserved decision on March 17, 2025.
The judge heard a number of preliminary objections from the defendants’ various attorneys and stated that the parties will be notified in due course of the day on which the decision and rulings would be delivered.
“All we’re waiting on is the verdict. Fashanu stated on Sunday, “We don’t know when yet, but the court said they will communicate it to us.”
“We have concluded,” Obasa said in response to a question about whether he was still thinking about dropping the lawsuit. You are reversing the clock’s hand. Arguments have been resolved; they don’t come up again. He is not going to back down, we have decided.
Otunba Henry Ajomale, a member of the Governance Advisory Council and a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, stated on Saturday that he thought Obasa will soon drop the lawsuit due to Tinubu’s influence.
The chieftain made this statement in a conversation with reporters during an award ceremony for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in Lagos on Saturday, according to an online outlet.
“You will notice the difference very soon, (at) the next sitting,” he stated.
“Someone goes to court because he feels wronged. He has the right to appear in court. And when Mr. President stepped in, and rightly so, since this is his own fault, it is now our responsibility.
He won’t let it lead to a resentful issue. And for that reason, he must step in. And now everything is as it was.
“I think the lawsuit will be removed from court now that Obasa has returned. quickly. Otunba Ajomale remarked, “Perhaps you will notice the difference at the next sitting.”
When Obasa was reelected as Speaker on March 3, 2025, after Meranda resigned, he adjourned the plenary indefinitely, according to Newsline.
The event came after Meranda’s 49-day tenure as the first female Speaker of the Lagos Assembly, which was tainted by a contentious leadership dispute as Obasa, who had been ousted on January 13, continued to struggle for the Speaker’s Office.
Later, the APC’s national leadership overcame the parliamentarians to allow Obasa to return, resolving the problem.
On March 12, 2025, President Tinubu met with all 40 House members in Abuja, where he further resolved the issues amongst the parliamentarians, especially those between Obasa and Meranda.
There appears to be a stop in the operations of the state’s legislative branch as the House has not convened since March 3.
Ottun Babatunde, the Clerk, informed our correspondent last Tuesday that the Assembly will probably reconvene following the Sallah break when asked when the House would meet again.
“We adjourned sine die (indefinitely), but by God’s grace, we will probably resume after Sallah,” he stated.
The clerk only responded, “We will resume our work,” when asked further about the House’s priorities upon resuming. We are (will be) performing our regular task.
He insisted that despite the hiatus, the House committees were still conducting their business. Actually, the committee is still working on its projects. We went on recess and just suspended plenary,” Ottun continued.
The Speaker was not in the state at the time, according to a source close to Obasa, because he had traveled to Mecca to complete the holy pilgrimage.
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