Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), the legal counsel for Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has once again dismissed rumors that Obasa would withdraw his lawsuit against former Speaker Mojisola Meranda and other Assembly members. Fashanu, in a telephone interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, confirmed that Obasa’s legal team was still awaiting a court judgment and that the case would continue until a ruling is delivered.
Fashanu’s statement came despite recent interventions by President Bola Tinubu, who is reportedly working to resolve the leadership crisis at the Lagos Assembly. Sources close to the matter suggest that part of the settlement involved Obasa withdrawing the suit. However, Fashanu was adamant that no such withdrawal was forthcoming. “We are just waiting for the judgment. We don’t know when yet, the court said they will communicate it to us,” he stated.
The lawsuit, which challenges the legality of the January 13, 2025, proceedings that led to Obasa’s removal, has been a point of contention. Justice Yetunde Pinheiro, presiding over the case, reserved judgment on March 17, 2025, after hearing several preliminary objections from the defendants. The judge indicated that the date for the judgment would be communicated in due course.
Fashanu was clear in his response when asked whether Obasa was reconsidering withdrawing the case. He firmly stated, “We have concluded. You’re twisting the hand of the clock back. We have concluded arguments; that one does not arise again. He’s not withdrawing, we have concluded.”
In contrast, Otunba Henry Ajomale, a former chairman of the Lagos APC and a member of the Governance Advisory Council, expressed confidence that Obasa might soon withdraw the lawsuit. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of an event honoring Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ajomale predicted that the case would be withdrawn at the next sitting. “Very soon, (at) the next sitting, you will see the difference,” he said. “Somebody is aggrieved and he went to court. It is his right to go to court. And it is now our own duty since Mr. President intervened and rightly too because this is his own making.”
The ongoing leadership crisis in the Lagos Assembly began when Obasa was removed on January 13, 2025, but he fought to regain his position. On March 3, 2025, Obasa was reelected as Speaker following Meranda’s resignation. The conflict ultimately prompted intervention from the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who played a key role in mediating the dispute. As a result, the lawmakers agreed to allow Obasa to return to office.
Since Obasa’s return, the Lagos State House of Assembly has not reconvened. The House was adjourned indefinitely on March 3, 2025. The Clerk of the Assembly, Ottun Babatunde, mentioned that the House would likely resume after the Sallah break, noting, “We adjourned sine die (indefinitely), but (we will) likely (resume) after Sallah by God’s grace.” He emphasized that although plenary sessions were suspended, committee activities continued.
Additionally, a source close to Obasa revealed that the Speaker had traveled out of the state to perform the holy pilgrimage in Mecca.
